Hey, Daniel, I Swear I Won't Forget You
by GeekyZelda
Summary: After going back in time to stop Vlad from getting Ecto Acne Danny returns to the future to find it totally changed. His dad's crazy, Maddie married Vlad, and they had a kid? It's now up to Danny to find a way back to fix his mistake, but how is he going to with a gangly red headed son of his arch enemy breathing down his neck? Based off of the episode Masters of All Time
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: **Hallo! First I want to say thanks for checking this out even with that crappy description. I've had this story on my mind for a while now and I'm really glad i finally wrote it down. This story should only be 2 or 3 chapters but who knows what will happen. I'm sorry if there are grammatical errors (I tend to be comma happy &amp; apparently paragraph happy 0.o). I tried my best but it doesn't help that I don't have anyone to proof read this. Anyway I'll leave you be, enjoy!**

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Daniel hadn't had the best of days at school. It had started the night before when he was forced to stay up until 1 AM to finish a group project. He had finished his part hours before but his group hadn't done squat. Daniel would have left them to flounder if he hadn't desperately needed the grade. That was only the first layer of the cake. The filling was the pop quiz in math and the surprise C+ on his AP test. The second layer was getting his lunch money stolen leaving him starving. And the best part of the day, the icing on the cake was the fact that today was Friday (that actually was a good thing)!

Daniel sighed. It wasn't easy, his life. When other kids found out that his father is the owner of the Green Bay Packers they get super stoked. The downfall is when they learn that Daniel himself was not so athletic, well usually that's when they kick him in the gut or steal his lunch money.

Daniel trudged up the steps of his mansion. Knowing Daniel's mother she'll want to talk about his day but all Daniel wanted to do was flop down on his bed and sleep the last of it away. Somehow Daniel would find a way to bypass the conversation.

Daniel pushed open the large front door to his home and called into the sweeping foyer, "I'm home."

"Hi, Sweetie!" Maddie came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron. "How was your day?"

Daniel could tell something was up right away. His mother was acting distracted, Maddie was never distracted. Whatever it was Daniel didn't want to be a part of it. He could almost hear his bed calling his name.

"Not so great mom," Daniel said as he crossed the foyer to the grand staircase.

"Oh really? Tell me about it." Maddie leaned against the door frame trying to look casual.

Daniel raised an eyebrow, "no thanks mom. I'm going to take a nap."

Daniel started up the staircase but his mother wasn't having it. Maddie practically ran across the foyer and jumped in front of her son stopping him in his tracks, "Daniel talk to me. We never talk anymore."

Daniel raised both eyebrows, "Mom, we talk all the time. I just want to nap for an hour then we can talk." Daniel pushed passed his mother and continued up the stairs.

Maddie

Maddie was in shock. Her son had never blown her off so easily before.

"Daniel, come back here and tell me what's wrong." Maddie's son kept walking; he had made it to the top of the staircase and was turning into the hallway. Maddie had to get her son to listen to her; it was now or never. Maddie took a deep breath before saying in a rush, "I have something to tell you!" but still her son ignored her. The last she saw of him was a wisp of red hair turning around the corner.

Daniel

Daniel would have time later to feel guilty for ignoring his mom but currently he was too tired to care. Daniel trudged down the long hallway dragging his feet on the carpet. The door to his room was a very welcoming sight. Daniel pushed the door open dreaming only about dropping onto his bed and passing out. What Daniel saw made him drop his backpack and his jaw plummet.

There was a person in his bed.

_ There was a person in his bed_.

_ Why_ the _hell_ was there a _stranger_ in _his_ bed?

"Sweetie?" Daniel jumped a mile high. While Daniel had been trying to figure out who was in his bed Maddie had come up behind him.

"Mom, why is there a person in my bed?" Daniel asked in shock.

Maddie sighed, "If you had listened to me earlier you would know. Come on, let's go to the kitchen and I can explain."

Daniel left his backpack on the floor and followed his mother down the hall, down the staircase and into the kitchen. Daniel sat at the table and Maddie ran to the oven to rescue burning cookies.

Daniel watched his mother fumble with the hot pan before asking, "Sooo, why is there a kid in my bed?"

Maddie was quiet while she transferred cookies to a cooling rack. After she was done she said, "He collapsed on the front steps around mid-day."

"What?" Daniel was shocked into silence for the second time that afternoon. His father often complained about organizations coming to him for money (or cheese samples). It was odd to Daniel that his parents would help this one kid.

Maddie turned to face her son, "He rang the doorbell and when we answered he said-" Maddie steadied herself before continuing, "He called me mom."

"He what!?" Daniel exclaimed.

Maddie nodded, "After he collapsed, he looked exhausted, and we carried him up to your room.

Daniel was quiet while he absorbed the new information. Maddie turned back to the counter and began cutting vegetables Daniel hadn't noticed before.

"So, what's the plan then?" Daniel asked his mother.

"Well the boy can't very well stay in your bed can he?" Daniel turned in his seat to find his father standing in the doorway.

"Hey, dad," Daniel said.

"Hello son. How long have you been home?" Vlad asked as he crossed the kitchen for a glass of water.

Daniel shrugged, "Long enough to find a stranger in my bed."

"Courtesy of your mother," Vlad said gesturing toward Maddie with his glass.

Maddie put her knife down and her hands on her hips; "We couldn't just leave him half dead on the doorstep."

Vlad smiled at his wife, "I know Maddie. I love how willing you are to help others."

Daniel looked away as his parents kissed. He wasn't one for P.D.A. in the first place let alone when it was his parents. After a second Maddie went back to her vegetables and Vlad sat at the table to read the newspaper. Daniel was about to stand and leave the kitchen (to do what he wasn't sure. It's not like he could go back up to his room) when a throat cleared behind him. The family looked up and Daniel got his first look at the stranger who'd taken over his bed.

The boy was about his height. He had messy raven black hair and startlingly icy blue eyes. Daniel stared at the boy and the boy stared right back. Something was off about him, Daniel could feel it but he couldn't put his finger on it. Daniel stood and moved closer to the boy (but not too close). The boy looked just as startled as Daniel felt. The staring contest lengthened and Daniel realized why the hair on the back of his neck was standing up. It was like Daniel was staring into a mirror. The stranger looked almost exactly like him.

"Who are you?" The boy asked right as Maddie said, "Sweetie, are you alright?"

Daniel chose to ignore his mother again and reply to his clone, "I should be asking you seeing that you are in my house."

"Your house!?" the boy cried looking surprised, "this is your house? Who are you?" the boy seemed to ask the question to himself rather than Daniel.

"Son, stop scaring the boy," Vlad scolded his child.

"I'm scaring him?" Daniel asked incredulously turning to his father. Behind him Daniel heard the boy say, "Son? Oh my God."

Daniel turned back to the boy. The more Daniel looked at him the more Daniel realized they didn't look as alike as he had initially thought. The boy had a different nose and a softer jaw line. Plus Daniel's eyes were a much darker shade of blue. It took Daniel a second to realize that the boy had turned a pale shade of green and looked ready to lose his lunch. Maddie must have noticed because she rushed over to the boy and him down in Daniel's recently vacated seat. The movement seemed to make his nausea worse.

"Here, let me get you some water," Maddie said running to retrieve a glass. The boy accepted the drink and took a long sip. When the boy had turned a more natural color Vlad ventured to ask, "Come now, son, what's your name?"

The boy glanced at Daniel and hesitated before saying, "Danny.'

"Really now? I take it that's short for Daniel?" Vlad sounded intrigued but Daniel could see it in his father's eyes he didn't believe the stranger.

"How fun, that's our son's name too," Maddie said. Daniel wasn't as good at reading his mother as he was his father but he doubted Maddie believed the boy either.

The boy, Danny, nodded and gave a nervous laugh, "Yeah, it is surprisingly enough." Danny's eyes flickered to Daniel again.

"So where are you from, Danny?" Maddie asked going back to making dinner. Daniel thought he heard her hesitate a second before saying Danny's name.

Danny shifted a bit but didn't relax, "Umm, Amity Park."

"Oh really?" Vlad said putting down his newspaper, "I hear it's a very peaceful place."

Danny laughed for the first time then quickly covered his mouth like he'd done something wrong. "It's not so quiet as I know it."

Vlad smiled, "Well I'm sure it's different when you live in a place."

"Haha, yeah I guess." Danny said.

"Daniel could you go set the table for dinner, please?" Maddie suddenly interrupted. Danny looked like he was about to rise from his chair before Daniel said, "Sure mom."

Daniel still wasn't sure about this kid. He especially didn't like how 'Danny' just happened to have the same name as him. Plus, Daniel thought, There's still something wrong with this kid.

Daniel couldn't figure out what it was. Danny seemed to make no noise when he moved or like he had the need to breathe. Daniel shook his head. He'd have to question the kid later. Now had to be a good son and set the table, unfortunately.

Danny

Danny was grossed out. Gross didn't even cover it. He was disgusted. Danny hadn't thought that changing one thing about the past would affect his future so drastically.

Seeing his dad in ghost garb was freaky and sickening (in more ways than one). Now seeing his mom married to Vlad, Danny could barely handle it! AND they had a kid. Gross. To think that his mom and Vlad had- NO. Danny had to scream at himself to derail that train of thought. AND his name was Daniel too. The thought that in another reality Danny was some red-haired, gangly kid with his nose in the air son of his arch-nemesis made him feel sick to his stomach. To top it off they had the same name. Somehow Danny felt that he would have felt better if the kid had been named Jeff or Death Embodied or Son of a Creepy Relationship That Should Have never Happened or, heck, even Vlad Jr.! Just something other than Daniel. Now Danny somehow had to fix this mess he'd made.

Danny's only hope was that his mom still had a ghost portal but now he wasn't even sure she owned a jumpsuit! To see his mom all matronly scared Danny more then he'd like to admit.

Danny would have to find that portal; his life depended on it.

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**A/N: Yay you made it! So this is my first fanfiction ever and I greatly appreciate you guys reviewing. I neeeeed it especially since I have no one to review it before I upload the story besides myself. To be honest I don't know when the next update will be. Hopefully very soon because this was written over the period of a few days. However, I am at a bit of a standstill. I know where I want to go I just have to get there kind of thing. Anyway Thank you again! I hope you will watch this story and review it I greatly appreciate it! Until next time, GeekyZelda**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! Before I begin I want to answer some questions left in the reviews. The time thing will be confronted soon. There's foreshadowing in this chapter see if you catch it ;). What I know about time confuses me greatly so bear(stupid homophones) with me please! The reason I kept the name as Daniel is addressed at the end of this chapter because I want you guys to think about it(remember the beginning of the episode)! By the way I'm sorry this chapter's short. I've had a very busy week. My school went to regions with drama. And I'm a Girl Scout selling cookies. My troop decided to have ten billion cookie booths this year so yeah you could say I've been busy. Anyway I'll get out of your hair, enjoy!**

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Chapter 2

Dinner was an intervention.

Maddie had made meatball subs with extra cheese, Daniel's favorite but tonight they tasted like dirt. Daniel was also drinking chocolate milk, which he hadn't had in five years. When Maddie had asked The Danny Kid what he would like to drink the guy had the indecency to ask for the same thing. That impertinent son of a bitch.

Vlad kept asking The Danny Kid to, "Tell him about himself." Maddie kept asking the kid about phone numbers or addresses but The Danny Kid kept dodging questions or not giving a straight answer.

Looking back on it Daniel realized the only thing he knew about this intruder was that his name was Danny, his parents had been in an accident and he came from Amity Park (wherever that was).

After many awkward silences and staring at plates dinner was over. The Danny Kid helped clear the table and even wash the dishes. Daniel couldn't figure this kid out. If he was in his shoes Daniel would have faked a headache or something so he wouldn't have to help.

Once everything was cleaned Maddie asked Daniel to show Danny to a guest room. Unable to find a way out of it Daniel was forced to show The Danny Kid around.

The pair walked silently down the West corridor. Every once in a while Daniel had to turn and check that The Danny Kid was still behind him. This kid is as silent as a ghost is; the thought gave Daniel chills. Something was weird about this kid. The feeling of weirdness Daniel had felt when he first saw The Danny Kid had returned stronger than ever.

After a while The Danny Kid spoke up, "What is your problem?"

Daniel stopped in his tracks, "My problem?" he asked spinning around to face The Danny Kid, "You, kind sir, are my_ problem_. _You're_ the one who invaded _my_ home. _You're_ the one who slept in my _bed_. You're the one who somehow managed to get on my parents' good sides! Something I hadn't even thought possible! _You're_ the one who called _my _mother mom! What the hell was that?" Seeing the stunned look on The Danny Kid's face amused Daniel more than he had thought it would.

"What?"

Seeing a hurt expression made a wave of guilt crash down on Daniel. He hadn't meant to snap at the kid. Daniel had had a very long and very tiring day plus he was starting to fall asleep on his feet, not a good sign.

Before Daniel could apologize a closet to his right popped open spilling junk across the hallway.

"Damn it!" Daniel screamed at the ceiling. Could his day get any worse?

"Hey," The Danny Kid said, "It's alright, we'll just clean it up."

Daniel took a deep breath, trying to calm his quickly fraying nerves, "Right" he said. Daniel took another deep breath before bending down to pick up a vacuum. "This closet has issues. My mom complains about it all the time. She says the doorknob is too short or something stupid like that."

"What is all of this stuff?" The Danny Kid asked. He held up a carpet foamer in one hand.

"Um, cleaning supplies," Daniel said it like The Danny Kid was stupid. Daniel's foot kicked a thermos out of the junk pile, "Among other things, apparently."

The Danny Kid gave Daniel a look full of sass; "It doesn't look like cleaning supplies to me."

The pair started to shove the stuff back into the closet; "Well what does it look like then?" Daniel dared to ask as he tried to play Tetris with a box and the vacuum.

"Ghost hunting supplies, maybe."

Daniel stopped for a second and the box tumbled to the floor landing on his foot.

"Ow! Ghost-what? You believe in ghosts? What are you five years old?" The Danny Kid leaned against the junk to keep it in the closet while Daniel pushed the door closed and nursed a sore toe.

"No, fifteen actually" The Danny kid retorted.

The door put up a fight but using their combined effort the pair conquered the junk/cleaning supplies monster.

Once they were done the pair stood staring at the closet. The Danny Kid suddenly laughed out of the blue, "Organized my butt."

"What?" Daniel asked.

"Oh! Umm earlier my mo- a friend of mine said all women are organized."

"Oh, well that doesn't describe my mother."

"No it doesn't," After seeing the look on Daniel's face The Danny Kid added, "Seem like it. It doesn't seem like she's very organized."

Daniel shook his head and turned around to be confronted by the stupid thermos. Daniel bent and snatched it from the floor. "Look," he said holding it up, "An escapee."

The Danny Kid smiled, "I guess he didn't want to go back in that black hole of a closet."

"Ha, I wouldn't want to either," Daniel tucked the thermos under his arm, "There is no way I am ever intentionally opening that closet again."

There was a sudden bang from behind the shut door making both boys jump. Smoke started pouring out from the crack between the floor and the closet door. Daniel swore, turned on his heels and bolted away down the hallway hoping The Danny Kid was behind him.

Danny

The boys ran from the scene of the crime for longer than should have been possible in a normal house. Long enough for Danny to begin to worry about his sides splitting.

When that door burst open a spike of hope warmed Danny's core. His mom still had her ghost hunting gear! That meant she's still the same Maddie (Wow, that's cool to say!) and knowing her she'll have a working ghost portal. Now Danny's only problem was Daniel. The hero side of him couldn't just leave the poor creep here alone. What would happen to him when the timeline gets fixed? Danny knew just enough about time to understand that it would be nothing good. Daniel was a bit of a jerk but how many times had Danny saved Dash?

Danny sighed. He'd have to worry about the Daniel question later. For now when they eventually found the guest room Danny was going to sleep and when he was positive everyone in the house was dead out he would look for the portal.

All of this Danny had thought as he and Daniel ran away from the explosion. Finally, at long last, Daniel slowed to a stop and leaned against a wall.  
"I think…we're safe…here," Daniel said between pants.

"Tell me…again, why…did we run…away?" Danny asked nursing a major cramp near his kidney.  
Daniel held up a finger, "Let me…catch my breath."

Danny nodded and leaned his head down in an effort to slow his heart. After a while Daniel spoke, "We ran because I don't want my parents to think I intentionally blew up the cleaning supplies. Besides, what if it exploded even more?"

"So, you panicked?" Danny summed up crossing his arms.

"What? No way! I'm not a chicken." Daniel threw up his defensive shield and Danny raised his hands in defeat but he couldn't wipe the smug look off his face.

Daniel crossed his arms and put his foot on the wall he was leaning against. Rolling his eyes he said, "That's your room." and jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the door on his right.

Danny walked forward and put his hand on the doorknob but didn't turn it.

"It's not rigged if that's what you're worried about," Daniel said reading Danny's mind. Danny gave Daniel a suspicious look but didn't argue he just pushed the door open.

Inside was the biggest bedroom Danny had ever seen and after seeing Daniel's room that was saying something. The room was big enough to fit at least four of Danny's back home side by side. A four-post bed was opposite the door and another door was to the right, probably leading to a bathroom, to the left was a huge wardrobe. A small "Whoa," escaped Danny's lips against his will.

"Hey," Daniel said behind Danny making him jump. Daniel was standing behind Danny in the doorway of the bedroom.

"Yeah?" Danny asked, still in shock.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier," Daniel said. Danny was surprised. The jerks he usually helped (Dash and co.) never apologized,  
"I'm just really tired. I had a very late night and an even longer day. I guess what I'm trying to say is, truce?" Daniel stuck out his hand for a handshake.

Danny hesitated, staring at Daniel's outstretched arm. "Hey," the guy said shaking his arm a bit, "I don't have that great of arm muscles you know."  
Danny gulped. Something in the back of his mind was advising against touching Daniel but Danny ignored it. He raised his arm and made to grasp Daniel's hand, "Tru-OW!"

"AHG!" Daniel cried at the same time.

The second the boys hands touched a sharp spike of pain pierced Danny's brain and rooted itself there. Daniel snatched his hand away from Danny and held onto his head like he was trying to keep it together. Danny wrapped his arms around his stomach and fell to his knees as he fought off a wave of nausea for what felt like the tenth time that day.

"What the hell was that?" Daniel growled rubbing his temples. As the initial wave of nausea subsided Danny stood using the door for support. "I have no idea." Danny replied taking deep breaths. After a beat Danny said, "I'm going to lay down."

Daniel nodded then stopped looking a little green. "See ya," Daniel turned away and walked down the hall without an answer and Danny pushed the door closed.

As he stumbled to the bed Danny went over the events of the day in the back of his mind. All in all it could have been a lot worse. Danny wasn't sure how mush worse but he wasn't necessarily willing to find out. He had had worse days with Pariah Dark and the ghost knight or meeting Dan or dealing with losing his memory after Sam accidentally-Sam. The thought of her and Tucker on their deathbeds brought Danny back to reality. His friends were in danger and it was up to him to save them. Danny pushed himself up to full height Time to get down to business.

"I'm going gho-"Danny began before another wave of nausea racked his body. "Crap" Danny said as he plopped down on the bed. Looks like business would have to wait.

Danny sighed. He'd have to be more careful about going ghost in this house. He'd already almost blown his cover by calling his mom 'mom'. Plus his mom still had her fighting equipment (How she had kept it from "We don't talk about ghosts in this house" Vlad Danny had no idea) and Daniel now had a Fenton thermos (Danny doubted the kid knew how to use it. The kid seemed just as ignorant of Maddie's (Still cool!) ghost ventures a Vlad was).

Danny's worries faded to the back of his mind as he lay down fully clothed, on the plush bed. He would get the thermos later. Now Danny was going to recover his strength with a much-needed nap.

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**A/N: Hey, you made it! So I'm sorry if there are major mistakes in this chapter. When I put it into the website the format was screwed up and something funky happened and yeah. Anyway, have you guessed? Well make one quick cuz here it comes(prepare for something anti-climatic)! I kept the name as Daniel because Maddie would have chosen the name. When Danny meets jack as a lonely guy he says, "Danny? That's a stupid name" and mentions that his cat's name is Jasmine. Seeing this Jack named the first child and Maddie named the second. I figured that Vlad would let Maddie have her way because he's so obsessed with her. I hope that the next chapter has much more action than this one &amp; I hope this one wasn't too boring. Anyway read &amp; review please! It keeps me going. I never realized the value of a long review before! Alright, until next time, GeekyZelda!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **I'm sorry it took me forever to put this chapter out! I just wanted to make it a perfect as I could (it still needs work *dies*).

UGH _action_. UGH_ HUMOR_. UGH _WRITING WELL!_ Anyway, Enjoy.

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Chapter 3

"You would think the kid would have more decency than that," Tucker's voice came through Daniel's headset between the sound of phasers blasting in the background.

"I know right? He was gaping at the room like a fish out of water or something," Daniel replied.

It was one in the morning and once again Daniel was wide-awake but this time it was by his own choice, sort of.

After his awful encounter with The Danny Kid Daniel stumbled back to his room numb with pain. His head was throbbing like his brain was trying to escape. The second his head hit the pillow he passed out fully clothed. It was the first time Daniel had gone to bed early in years.

The irritatingly familiar buzz of his cell phone woke him from a deep sleep. Bleary eyed, Daniel picked up the hell-made machine to find 20 text messages and 3 missed calls all of which were from his friend Tucker. As Daniel was trying to access his voicemail, half asleep, the phone rang again with an incoming call. Daniel sat up putting his feet on the floor before answering.

"You better have a good reason for waking me up," He said around a mouth that felt like it was full of cotton.

As soon as Daniel had the words out of his mouth Tucker said, "High time you pick up! Crash Nebula updated and we have to be the first ones to whip alien butt and save the galaxy." Daniel didn't say anything; he had fallen back asleep.

"Daniel? Are you there? Daniel, you aren't grasping the gravity of this situation! My avatar is running around the red star galaxy _alone_. I need you dude!"

The phone slipped out of Daniel's hand and dropped to the floor making a muffled clatter pass through the phone line. Tucker swore and the line went dead.

Meanwhile, Daniel was having a dream. He was in an unfamiliar place. Somehow, as is often the way of dreams, Daniel knew it was a science lab. The walls were made or iron and the counters at the sides of the room were piled high with trash, papers, and other nonsensical items Daniel didn't recognize. All the equipment faced a large octagonal hole in the wall.

Suddenly, Daniel was standing in front of the hole pulling on a white jump suit. Someone, a girl, slapped a strange looking D on his chest.  
Next Daniel was stepping into the hole. He walked a few feet forward and lost his footing. He leaned against the wall to balance himself and accidentally pressed a switch. Great pain assaulted Daniel's body and a bloodcurdling scream ripped out of his throat.  
Daniel woke with a yell and almost face planted off his bed.

He had had the dream before, almost every night. People say it's not possible to die in dreams but Daniel felt he had proof other wise. Every time he had that dream Daniel swore he woke up because his heart had stopped beating.

Daniel put his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees. The headache had returned but not as strongly. Instead of a full throttle pounding it was now a dull ache at the back of his head and behind his eyes.

His phone lit up at his feet and Daniel sighed. Tucker wasn't giving in tonight. He reached down, picked up the phone, and finally answered.  
"What, Tucker?"

"Oh good you're actually awake this time! Turn on your computer now. You're playing this game with me whether you like it or not."  
And that's how Daniel ended up awake in the wee hours of the night playing a computer game.  
"Cover me Daniel, I'm running in!" Tucker suddenly yelled over the headset.

Tucker's avatar ran forward while he screamed a battle cry. Daniel charged in after him giving a small yell of his own. Daniel destroyed Galaxy Warrior Robots while Tucker sped to the other side of the room to sabotage a power system.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. Remember that Sam Manson girl?" Tucker asked.

"The one goth who went to see Temple of Doom with us? What about her?"

Tucker flipped a lever and the robots fell to pieces. A door to the left of the screen slid open and the avatars jogged through.  
"She asked me if we wanted to go see that new Divergent movie. I think she likes you, dude."

Daniel rolled his eyes, "Tucker you think every girl who looks at us is thinking of hooking up."

"Whatever dude. She asked me to specifically invite you and I've seen the way you look at her. I'm just sayin' that you need to grab the merchandise before it flies off the shelves. If you know what I mean."

Daniel grimaced at Tuckers bad metaphor. Sam was pretty and kind of cute. Daniel thought of Sam's short black hair and the way she always had a small ponytail that seemed to defy gravity. He thought of the curve of her smile and, more specifically, the curve of her hips. Thinking of the way she walked almost made Daniel laugh. Sam always stomped around in her combat boots like she was the one in charge. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to ask her out on a date. Daniel could totally go for someone who's as much as an outcast as he is.

"Whoa, what is this?" Tucker asked bringing Daniel back to Earth.

While Daniel had been daydreaming Tucker had run into the next room and Daniel's avatar had fallen behind. He trotted after to find the next room split into a huge canyon. Two rock faces reached almost all the way to the top of the ceiling. On one side a holo-ladder traced it's way to the top of the cliff.

"Whoa, indeed," Daniel agreed, "What are we supposed to do here?"

"It looks like that one kids movie. Umm, Finding Nemo! It reminds me of Finding Nemo."

"How did you remember that? I haven't seen that movie in forever."

"My younger cousins are visiting this week. Anyway, that's not important. We need to get to the other side."

"You do realize that as soon as we go in there the walls will start to close on us."

"Yep! Which is why we're going to play this like the movie. You go through the crevasse and I'll go over the top. That way if one of us gets crushed the undead one can go on."

"What if you die and I'm left playing here alone?"

"I can see your screen. I'll be your guide, dude! I can lead you to victory."

Daniel gave an exasperated sigh, "Tucker! That's insane, you're going to die and something bad is going to happen so I end up losing the game. I am not going in there"

"Come on man! Don't you trust me?"

"About as much as I should trust a random stranger I met on the Internet and have seen in person, like, five times."

Tucker was quiet for a second before saying, "Good point."

Daniel sighed, "Let's do this."

Tucker whooped, "This is what the last twenty levels have been about, baby! Let's do this shit."

Daniel smiled at his friend's excitement. Tucker always got excited about computer games. Well, anything having to do with technology really.

"Alright, I'm going to climb this ladder then we'll go on my count, OK?"

"Yeah, sure" Daniel said rubbing his eyes while Tucker's avatar climbed the ladder.

"So, what do you plan to do about that Danny guy?" Tucker asked.

"Oh, right. Him" Daniel had forgotten The Danny Kid while remembering Sam. Daniel shrugged then remembering Tucker couldn't see him said, "I don't know. Unless you have any bright ideas for me."

"Nope. No ideas at all, sorry dude," Tucker's avatar made it to the top of the cliff and Tucker asked, "Alright, you ready?"

"Yep."

"Set?"

"Yes, Tucker." For a second Daniel thought he heard someone snicker behind him.

"Alright, alright, three… Two…One…Go!" Daniel double tapped the W key and the two avatars took off running. About half of the way into the crack the walls began to close in on his screen.

"Ack! Tucker, the walls!"

"I know the ceiling is falling, too. Remember those speed packs?"

"The what?"

"The speed packs from the beginning of the ship that we thought we would never have to use. Use it, now!"

Daniel clicked an icon shaped like a man running on the bottom of his screen that he had forgotten about. The walls blurred at Daniel's sudden burst of speed.

"Ahhh!"

"Woo hoo!"

Daniel shot out of the rocks right as they began to touch. He turned around in time to see Tucker's avatar jump from the top of the cliffs to land in a crouch.

"We did it!" Daniel cried.

"Heck yeah we did it! Dance boy, dance!" Daniel watched as Tucker's avatar started to dance a jig. He laughed, "That's awesome! How did you do that?"

"Press the Alt, S, and space bar all at once," Tucker instructed. Daniel obeyed and watched as his screen went into third person mode and his avatar began to moon walk. "This is great."

"Haha, yeah"

Daniel heard a laugh behind him.

"Wow, the surround sound on this headset is really impressive."

"Really," Tucker asked, "What set do you have?"

"Umm the TX IV. They were on sale at Target a while ago."

Tucker was quiet for a second, "You sure dude?"

"Yeah, positive. They say so on the side."

"Daniel, that version doesn't have surround sound." Daniel could hear the frown in his friend's voice.

"Well then-" Daniel broke off as something behind his started wobbling, "Tucker hang on."

"What? No, Daniel we can't stop now. The boss is in the next chamber and we need two people to beat him. We could have the red star headquarters under our control before morning!"

"Tucker there may or may not be a potential robber in my house."

"But-!" Tucker's cry was cut from Daniel's ears when he pulled off the headset.

Daniel bent down and pulled a baseball bat out from under the desk. A late birthday present from his father a few years back.  
Spinning around Daniel asked, "Who's there?"

No reply, the room was empty.

Daniel crossed the room to his dresser and found the offending noisemaker. His alarm clock had fallen over and was now rocking forward on its face. Weird, Daniel thought. The clock was perfectly stable. There was no way it would fall forward without human assistance.

"What the heck?" he said, or would have said if the green glob of goo hadn't so rudely interrupted.

A giant splotch of disgustingness flew past Daniel's head and attached itself to the wall. Daniel screamed and turned around to have a sudden stare down with a huge man.

He wore large armor like a knight from a video game. His face was concealed behind a mask with intricate designs cut in it that flowed throughout his entire suit and glowed green. A bright, lime green plume styled like fire flowed out of his helmet and fell down his back. The knight held an uncharacteristic staff with a sharp crystal poised at the top. The longer Daniel looked at the figure the more he somehow convinced himself the guy was glowing.

"Who the hell are you?" Daniel exclaimed, frightened out of his mind. The Knight Guy was freaky.

"Where is the halfa?" The Knight Guy ignored Daniel's question and pointed his crystal at Daniel's chest, "Tell me now or perish."

"I, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Daniel stammered throwing his hands in the air, dropping the bat.

"Then you are of no use to me."

The Knight Guy made a sweeping motion and something slammed into Daniel's side with the force of a freight train. Daniel was knocked off his feet and his back slammed into a wall. Or what Daniel thought was a wall.

Wheezing Daniel opened his eyes to find himself lying on the floor of his hallway.

"What!" Daniel's confusion grew when a boy stood up next to him. The boy was extremely pale, had bright unnaturally white hair, and glowing electric green eyes as bright as Knight Guy's plume.

"Who-?"

"No time!" The boy cut Daniel off and reached down to pull him to his feet. Goose bumps erupted on Daniel's skin for the boy's touch.

"Run!" The boy screamed and took off running noiselessly down the hall. Daniel had no choice but to follow. Daniel caught up to the boy with ease.

"What is going on?" Daniel yelled his voice shaking as his feet pounded the floor.

"Hang on a minute," the kid glanced behind them and his eyes widened. Daniel glanced back to see the knight bolting toward them quickly gaining, "Oh my fu-"

"Hold on to me!" The kid grabbed Daniel's upper arm and pulled him into the wall, into the wall.

The kid and Daniel stepped out of the wall on the other side, "Oh my God. Oh my God. What's happening?"

"Shush!" The white haired kid hushed Daniel. Daniel tried to rip his arm out of Whitey's grip of steel and failed.

"What is with you?" Daniel cried.

"Would you just be quiet for one minute? I'm trying to form a plan here," Whitey jumped into the air and next thing Daniel knew he was flying through the ceiling.

"Ack!" Daniel gripped Whitey's arm as tight as he could as he felt his feet leave the floor. Whitey popped up through the floor into a bathroom and shook his head, "No." Whitey kept flying dragging Daniel by the arm. He came out of the floor of another dinning room.

"How many dinning rooms do you people need?" Whitey asked as he pulled Daniel out of the floor. Daniel was shaking too hard to reply. Whitey tugged Daniel, who was still holding onto Whitey like a vice grip, to a corner of the room by the door. The pair crouched there and Whitey peered around the doorway.

"I think we'll be okay here for a second," he muttered to himself.

Daniel gulped loudly, "I'm dreaming. This is all a continuation of that stupid nightmare."

The kid perked up at that, "Nightmare?"

"None of your business, Whitey," Daniel muttered.

The kid rolled his eyes and peered around the doorway again. Daniel took the moment to inspect his savior.

Whitey was wearing a black jumpsuit with white gloves and white boots. The way he stood commanded attention and the way he spoke made Daniel want to obey. He seemed to glow with a white aura and his voice had a strange echo to it. On Whitey's chest was a familiar looking D.

"Where did you get that symbol?" Daniel blurted.

"Shh!" without looking back Whitey put a hand over Daniel's mouth.

"Here he comes," Whitey turned back to Daniel, really looking at him for the first time.

"I'm going to take my hand away. I need you to hear me out for less than a minute, okay?" Daniel nodded and Whitey let go of him.

The second the kid let go Daniel felt his core warm. His goose bumps went down and Daniel could breathe normally again. He hadn't realized this kids touch affected him so heavily.

Whitey sat back and ran a hand through his hair. In a rush he said, "I have no idea who or what this ghost is. I've never seen him before. I need you to trust me. Trust that I'll get you out of here. Can you do that?"

Daniel nodded, speechless.

"Okay, the ghost is coming around the corner. Be silent." Whitey reached a hand out to grab Daniel's hand. Daniel flinched and scooted away, not wanting to feel the cold in his core again. Whitey hesitated for a second saying, "Trust me." Before continuing to reach and this time Daniel didn't scoot away.

Whitey picked up Daniel's hand and closed his eyes. A small wave of cold passed through the intertwined hands and Daniel felt a tingling start in his wrist and spread throughout his limbs. He looked down to find that his entire body had disappeared. Daniel gasped and Whitey shushed him. Whitey had disappeared too. For a second Daniel thought the kid had left him until he realized Whitey was still holding his hand.

Daniel looked up to see Knight Guy walking down the hallway toward the hidden pair. Daniel pushed his bruised back into the wall when the knight poked his head in the doorway.

"Where are you hiding boy?" Guy muttered to himself. Knight Guy gave a thorough glance around the room before he pulled his head back out and continued noiselessly down the hall.

After a while Daniel realized he could see himself and Whitey again. Whitey had his eyes closed, an eerie sight. Daniel gave Whitey's hand a squeeze to make sure the kid wasn't dead.

"Don't do that, please."

Daniel jumped and obeyed. _Who is this kid?_ Daniel thought. _Why won't I wake up?_ Daniel heard once that you only dream about people you've seen before and Daniel was positive he'd never seen this kid before. Daniel thought about pinching himself but stopped his hand midway when he thought about all he'd been through in one night. _So, I'm not dreaming?_

"Okay, I think we're safe," Whitey suddenly and he tugged his hand out of Daniel's. "He's on the other side of the house."

Daniel took that as an okay to talk. "What's going on? Who are you? Who was that creep? _What are you people doing in my home_!?" Daniel's voice was teetering on the edge of hysteria. Whitey must have heard it.

"Whoa, calm down. Here, take three breaths with me," Whitey moved his hands in a sweeping motion as he breathed, "In and out, in and out." Daniel ignored him and almost stared hyperventilating.

"Come on, Daniel. Breathe with me, please." Daniel almost missed Whitey saying his name, almost.

Daniel finally took a deep breath, held it, and released it. The pair breathed together until Whitey was satisfied.

"Okay. Now, one question at a time."

Daniel took a moment to collect his thoughts before asking, "What's going on?" Whitey chewed his lower lip.

"Of course you start with the hardest question. If you want the truth, I don't know exactly. I've never met this ghost before but he's powerful. Power, like, radiates off him. It's weird the only other ghost I've met who felt like this was-" Whitey broke off and muttered something that sounded like, "Cockward."

"Ghosts. Wait. Don't tell me that you think Knight guy's a ghost."

Whitey glared at Daniel, "You have got to be kidding me. Yes, I believe that guy is a ghost! I believe he is dead, as much as I believe you are one hundred percent human. I can not believe that after all you just saw, after all you have been through today you still don't believe in ghosts. Ignorance may be bliss but it can also lead to stupidity. You have to accept this world you've been dragged into. Whether you like it or not!"

Daniel tried to pass the shock on his face off as annoyance before he snapped, "Fine, you crazy freak! Who the hell are you, Whitey?"

Unfazed Whitey raised an eyebrow; "You're really creative with names, aren't you?"

Daniel gave him his best death glare. "What's your name, smartass?"

Whitey glared back at Daniel with just enough venom to remind Daniel of someone else, whom he couldn't quite place, "Da-Uhh… Phantom!"

"Da Phantom? A little self centered are we?"

"It's just Phantom, jerk."

"Bitch."

The two boys glared at each other some more and the feeling that Daniel knew the kid grew. Enough to really bother him. After about a minute Phantom broke the contest by rolling his eyes, "Didn't you have more questions?"

Daniel thought about it for a second before asking, "Who's Knight Guy?"

"Again, names kid. You need to be more creative," Daniel ignored the comment and Phantom sighed, "I told you. I don't know who this guy is; I've never met him before. Any other questions I haven't already answered?"

Still feeling ticked off and hoping to throw off this kid who seemed to think so highly of himself Daniel asked, "How did you know my name?"

The question had the desired affect. Shock fluttered across Phantom's face and he started to stammer.

"Yes how did you know the child's name, Ghost Boy?"

Phantom's face fell as the temperature in the room dropped and Daniel was paralyzed with fear. Daniel watched behind Phantom as Knight Guy rose out of the ground, "Found you, boy"

Phantom put a hand on Daniel's chest and shoved him through the wall behind. The pair emerged in the hallway toppling over each other.

"Daniel, move!"

"You move!"

In their commotion to stand the pair just ended up getting more and more tangled together.

"Hahaha, sweet irony. Daniel, you should know better than to run from me."

Daniel froze nose to nose with Phantom when Knight Guy said his name. Phantom's eyes widened and he managed to stand, kneeing Daniel in the process. As soon as he was free Daniel scrambled up against a wall.

"Who are you?" Phantom demanded, "Why are you here?"

"What, no witty banter that you are so famous for? You have never seen me before and this surprises you? I thought you would be smarter than that, smart enough to realize you have greater enemies more horrible than your worst nightmare," Knight Guy leaned on his staff, seeming totally at peace.  
Phantom shrugged, "I've been in this business for a while, I doubted many more people would want to bother me." Daniel whimpered as phantom's hands lit up with green energy, "Now, who are you?"

Knight Guy laughed, a scary echoy sound, and stood up straight, "My name is Aetas Mors."

"Time Death?" Daniel broke his paralysis to interrupt.

Aetas Mors tilted his head, "I'm impressed human, you have knowledge of a dead language not many know about anymore."

"Daniel, hush please," Phantom said over his shoulder.

"Why should I, Whitey?"

"Because you may end up joining the Romans!"

"Whitey?" Mors asked Phantom. Phantom closed his eyes, "He's a special case. Now, since you won't tell me who you are, join the Romans!"  
Phantom raised a glowing fist and aimed for Mors face at full force. Mors stepped out of the way with surprising agility and tapped Phantom on the back with his staff as he flew past him.

"Ahgh!" A scream of agony escaped Phantom and he slammed into the wall.

"Haha, you are fun to dance with, Ghost Boy."

Phantom stood up pushing off the wall, "Let's see if you know the waltz." Phantom disappeared.

Daniel watched Mors look up and down the hallway, shifting nervously. "Where are you, wimp?" Mors cried.

"Right here!"

Mors suddenly flew into the ceiling. Pieces of plaster rained down on Daniel dusting his hair and skin white. Mors fell to the ground and groaned but didn't move.

Phantom materialized above a very shocked Daniel.

"Are you alright?" Phantom asked. Daniel nodded faintly. "Here," Phantom stuck out his hand to help Daniel stand. Daniel ignored him and shakily got to his feet, "I might be sick."

"Would you just run, please!" Phantom turned and took off flying down the hallway.

Daniel sighed. His life just got way too interesting.

Daniel ran after Phantom working hard to catch up, "Why are we running?"

"I need to get you out of here."

"Please, I can take care of myself. Ghost or not, I can fight! Just take me back to my room and I can grab my baseball bat."

"Yes, because you can beat up a ghost while playing baseball. Kid with an attitude like that you're going to get yourself – Ahh!"

Daniel jumped back to the wall as Phantom suddenly face planted. Phantom flipped on his back to find a green rope attached to his ankle. The rope lead back down the hall to a very angry looking Aetas Mors.

"You are not getting away from me that easily, Daniel!" Mors began to pull on the rope hand over hand, tugging Phantom toward him.  
Phantom shot a ball of green at the rope only succeeding in burning a spot into the carpet. "Daniel, help me!"

The fear in Phantom's voice shocked Daniel into action. He pushed off the wall and seized Phantom by the underarms pulling with all his might.  
Mors laugh echoed down the hall, "Resistance is futile, boys! I am a great bounty hunter who always catches his prize. My boss will be very pleased to see the Halfa."

No matter how hard the pair pulled Mors was stronger and soon Phantom was at his feet, Daniel still holding onto the ghost boy.

Mors stuck out and smacked Daniel across the face. Phantom cried out as the human spun into the wall crumpling at its base. Mors laughed again at Daniel's weakness and, bending down, picked Phantom up by the throat.

"You made a foolish decision of screwing with the timeline and must pay for your mistake."

"Wait, you don't understand!" Phantom tried.

"I do not need to understand. I do not want explanations. Frankly, child, I do not care what happens to you." Mors voice had slowly risen to a bellow waking Daniel.

Daniel pushed himself up on his hands and knees and put a hand to his forehead. It came away red. Daniel's stomach turned at the sight of his blood on the floor. The ground beneath Daniel rolled like the deck of a ship.

_Phantom_

_Mors_

Slowly Daniel remembered why he was lying on the floor bleeding. Daniel turned over to see Aetas Mors towering above him. Mors held Phantom by the throat, slowly squeezing. The sight sparked an old, suppressed memory in the back of Daniel's mind.

~Flashback Time~

Four-year-old Daniel was sitting on the floor of his kitchen playing with toy cars. Vlad sat at the table reading the newspaper. Maddie was at the stove burning a pot of chili; Maddie's cooking skills had yet to develop.

Daniel remembers his parents talking about a random news article. Something about ghost attacks in a city called Amity Park. Boring stuff to a toddler.  
There was a sudden crash from the front room and Daniel's father ran to investigate. Maddie pulled Daniel behind the island counter and tried to console the crying child.

There was another crash and Daniel winced at his father's scream. Maddie cussed before making Daniel promise that he would not move from his spot on the floor. When Daniel begrudgingly agreed she ran to the foyer. Daniel sat back and clamped his hands over his ears trying to block out the noise from the foyer. Through his hands he heard his parents talking and another mans voice he didn't recognize. The noise soon became too much for him. After he heard his mother scream Daniel creeped to the doorway peering into the foyer.

Rubble was strewn everywhere. Broken cobblestone, glass shards, and wood splinters covered the entire entryway. They front door lay discarded across the sweeping staircase. Where the door used to be there was a gaping hole spanning the side of the mansion.

Daniel spotted his mom on the other side of the foyer. Maddie was lying on her stomach, not moving.

"Mommy!" Young Daniel was about to run to her when he heard his father's voice.

"No, Daniel."

The child looked up searching for the source of the voice. Hovering high off the ground was an extremely large, very strange, very scary man. He had on a weird white jumpsuit with a cape flowing down his back. Black horns arched out of his head and his skin was tinted blue-green. Daniel couldn't see his face.

The white man was holding Daniel's father at arms length by the throat.  
"Daddy?"

"It's okay Daniel," Vlad stopped to take a gasp, "It'll be okay."  
"Who are you talking to?" The white man looked down at the young boy and surprise fluttered across his face. He paused before saying, "I won't kill you, Vladimir, only because of your son. Every child needs his father." With that The White Man let go of Vlad ten feet off the ground.

* * *

"Daniel?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"I have no idea. Daniel, are you in there?"

Daniel opened his eyes and shook himself out of the reverie. He wasn't four years old experiencing why his father hated ghosts. He was fifteen, standing in the hallway of his mansion trying not to pee his pants with terror.

"Stay awake boy. I want you to witness your friends demise," Mors turned back to Phantom who was struggling to get out of his death grip; slowly turning blue in the face.

"Mors," Phantom panted, "Leave him…alone…he's not…part of this."

"It is not up to me whom I capture. Save your breath ghost boy, it may be your last."

Daniel watched Phantom aim one last halfhearted kick towards Mors' stomach before giving up. His head lolled to the side.

"Phantom!"

Mors ignored Daniel's cry. He threw Phantom's lifeless body to the ground. The movement seemed to cause some reaction in Phantom's unconscious mind. His dim, almost nonexistent, aura glowed brighter. It formed rings that sped up and down Phantom's body. Before Daniel's eyes Phantom's hair turned from white to black and his clothes changed to jeans and a T-shirt. Suddenly Daniel found himself staring at The Danny Kid.

"W-what?" Daniel stuttered.

Mors spun his staff around before aiming it at The Danny Kid's heart. "I will be well rewarded for this prize." Mors sounded pleased with himself. A ball of menacing, swirling, green energy formed around the crystal.

Without thinking Daniel jumped between the staff and The Danny Kid, "No!"

To this day Daniel has no idea what compelled him to do it. Daniel knew he was a coward and cowards should never forget where they stand. That just leads into an entire world of trouble. Plus, he had just met The Danny Kid. Why should he be saving him? Not like the kid had done anything for Daniel, right?

_Wrong._ A voice in the back of Daniel's head muttered and Daniel knew he should listen. But he didn't want to listen.

"Move child," Mors demanded.

"No," Daniel said even more firmly than before hoping his voice wasn't shaking as much as his knees. Somehow Daniel felt connected to The Danny Kid. In that moment Daniel decided that, no matter what, he was never again going to stand to the wayside while someone he cared about was harmed, especially if it was in front of him. "Wherever you take him, I'm going too!"

"Foolish human. Stand aside or face the wrath or the Ghost Zone's greatest bounty hunter."

"You've already killed him what more could you possibly want with a dead body?!"

Mors shoulders slumped, "He is not dead you imbecile. You obviously do not grasp the concept of_ bounty_ hunting. However, I am not afraid to kill you. Now stand aside!"

When Daniel didn't move Mors chuckled and said, "Very well." Mors lifted his staff for the third time and Daniel squeezed his eyes shut as the ball of green formed. He didn't want to watch the weapon of his destruction form.

But the blow never came. Instead Daniel heard a small _ding-aling-aling_ followed by Mors cursing. Daniel opened his eyes in time to see Mors produce an old flip cell phone out of nothing and place it against his helmet.

"What," Mors demanded. He listened for a moment, "Uh-huh…No…Fine." The ghost slammed the flip phone shut and lowered his staff  
"You live to see another day, human," He spat the last word like an insult, "Consider yourself lucky." With that Aetas Mors disappeared.

Once he was gone Daniel's knees gave out. Daniel slapped the ground his body shaking all over. _What just happened?_ The longer Daniel sat there the more he somehow convinced himself the entire episode had been a very bad hallucination. In fact, after nine and a half minutes Daniel was ready to go back to bed. His adrenaline had long worn off and the tiny headache behind his eyes had returned along with a throbbing on his forehead.

Daniel stood and turned around. He would just head back to his room and get a nice 12-hour long sleep under his belt. Daniel began to walk forward when he glanced downward and had to stifle a scream. The Danny Kid was lying on the floor in front of him looking half-dead.

The events of the night came flooding back to Daniel. A ghost knight had attacked and almost killed him and The Danny Kid. The Danny Kid was actually Phantom. He had flown through walls. He had flown!

"Oh God," Daniel whipped wetness from his eyes. He hadn't even realized he'd been crying. When Daniel pulled his hand away he did a double take. Daniel's hand was colored red from blood. Daniel poked the dull pain on his forehead and winced at the spike of pain that ran through his head.

"Oh God," Feeling a panic attack coming on Daniel began to take deep breaths, "Keep it together, Masters. It can't be that bad, can it?" Daniel took a step back to inspect the gash in a dark window. A stranger stared back.

Daniel's face was red from the blood running down it and matting his hair. His jeans had ripped at the knee and he could feel a bruise or five forming on various parts of his body. Dust from the ceiling falling in had painted Daniel's entire body white. The gash on Daniel's forehead wasn't half the size he'd expected and was already starting to scab.

Daniel took a deep breath trying to calm his tired, fraying nerves. The Danny Kid/Phantom's earlier word came back to him. You have to accept this world you've been dragged into. Whether you like it or not!

Daniel tore his eyes away from his reflection and walked back to The Danny Kid. He gently nudged Danny/Phantom's foot. The kid muttered something and rolled his head but remained unconscious.

_At least he's alive._ "Well kid, you got your wish. I believe in ghosts. Now what?"

Danny

…

* * *

**A/N: This update is to fix some italics that I forgot when originally uploading. That's what I meant by formatting errors**

So I deeply apologize for any formatting errors! My computer's old and it doesn't correspond well when I copy &amp; paste the story into fanfiction. HUGE MOUNTAINS of thank yous to Guest and Universal808 for making me realize you can't have a DP fanfic without Sam and Tucker! Did you know they're only not in one of the original episodes? More thanks to all my reviewers! You guys are great and no matter how short the review is it motivates me. I know that this chapter isn't exactly up to Parr but I'll get on top of fixing it ASAP. Plus, I finally found a beta! So, expect better grammar in the future (hopefully :P). If anyone has free time on their hands and wants to beta for me PLEASE PM me. I'd really appreciate it.

I don't know when the next chapter will be up, we'll all have to see! I had these first three pictured in my head before I wrote them down so it made it easier to write them. I'll do the best I can!

One last thank you to every reader who took the time to decipher my bad grammar and awkward sentences to get here!

I love you all, please read &amp; review! Untill next time, GeekyZelda


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm back from the dead! No, I'm just kidding, but I am back. :D I'm really sorry this chapter took ten years to come out. I have excuses but I'm sure you guys don't want to hear them. In short I was really friggin' busy.**

**9/18/14 Mrs. Frizzle you are a goddess! She noticed a major hole I forgot to fill and brought it to my attention. Everybody should go check out her bio! I personally, haven't read any of her stories but I'm sure they're amazing, she's always leaving such awesome positive constructive criticism on every story I see her on. So, thank you! (Plus, is it not really cool to read a story writen by the driver of the magic school bus herself?)**

**Chapter 5 is coming I swear! It's currently under production but I'm going to give you any time frame so I don't get hopes up (mine included). **

**The chapter is the same one uploaded a few months ago I just really needed to add the last part in.**

Chapter 4

Danny woke in a nest of blankets disoriented. He must have fallen out of bed. He sat up and stretched, wincing at small sparks of pain that shot through his limbs.

_Why am I so sore?_ Danny let the thought pass. He must have slept wrong. He yawned and rolled deeper into an afghan. _This is comfy_, Danny thought, _I'll have to get dad to make me one of these_. Sleepy thoughts floated through his head. _Does dad crochet? I didn't think so. Maybe the blanket's Jazz's_.

Light flashed behind Danny's eyelids making him groan. _Who's messing with the lights?_ Sound boomed and Danny shot up in surprise.

A bolt of lightning cracked across the sky lighting a scene in front of Danny. He was on the floor of a regal looking bedroom. A four-poster bed towered over Danny dominating the space. Across the room a computer stood on a large desk that was littered with trash, papers, and empty soda cans. To his right the sound of running water slapping tile ran from a door that was illuminated slightly.

Another flash of lightning lit the room and Danny stood, his muscles groaned in protest. Danny gripped a poster of the bed for a moment as he fought vertigo. As he rose the other side of the room was revealed. A table, a dirty as the desk, sat beneath a wide window. A wardrobe that looked like it had jumped out of a gothic castle stood next to the bed. A dresser that was just a gothic was across the room from the wardrobe. Above the dresser a scorch mark blackened the wall.

Danny stepped out of his nest, over a pile of books and made his way around the foot of the bed. Only to have his knee slam into a bench that was placed at the end of the bed.

"Ow! Son of a bench," A flurry of more colorful phrases floated through Danny's brain.

"If a simple bench can take down the hero of the ghost zone we should all be worried."

Danny jumped at the voice and glanced up to see a face smirking at him from the window, "Clockwork?"

The face wavered as adult Clockwork nodded, "Hello, Daniel."

Danny winced at his full name as he walked around the bench and closer to the window, "What are you doing here? How are you doing that?"

"It's a reflection, Daniel. One of the many bonuses of having mirrors in your domain." Clockwork shifted forms. Elderly him replacing the adult. Danny shuddered, that always creeped him out.

"As to what I am doing here, that is more important. I should apologize to you Daniel."

"For what?" Danny asked suddenly weary. Why would Clockwork have to apologize to him?

"For the, ah… Interruption you suffered a few hours ago."

"Interruption? What do you mean-? Wait," realization dawned on Danny. "Do you mean that creepy Aetas Mors jerk? He came because of you?" Rage suddenly started to boil in Danny's stomach. "Do you realize he could have killed me? He could have killed Daniel and I think he probably- hang on. Where's Daniel?"

Danny began to move away from the window before Clockwork's voice stopped him, "The alternate you, Daniel, is currently taking a shower. I do not think he would take it kindly if you were to walk in on him."

Danny stopped and turned back to the window reassured by the sound of running water coming from the closed door across the room.

"So, what? You just showed up in the window to apologize?" He asked.

Clockwork shifted to his child state as he shook his head, "I also came to warn you, Daniel."

"Warn me for what?" The wariness returned.

"You cannot stay in this dimension for long. Even now you are pushing the boundaries of time."

"Okay, so, What does that mean?" Danny asked, as clueless as ever.

"It means that you have to find what you are looking for and get out. I can only give you so much time before the dimension you've created collapses."

"Wait, wait, wait. Why would the dimension collapse? What's it matter?"

"Time is a delicate thing Daniel. If you pull at it too much the entire network that has built itself around itself will change. One fraction of change will act like a Rube-Goldberg machine and cause the entire structure to crumble in upon itself."

Danny blinked as the entire speech flew over his head, "All I got from that was that time is screwy."

Clockwork gave an exasperated sigh as he shifted to his adult state, "Yes Daniel time, as you so eloquently put it, is 's_crewy_'. It is in your best interest not to make it even more so. You need to find a way out of there."

Danny took a second to absorb this new information. "What will happen if I don't make it out?" he asked.

"The dimension will collapse. You don't need to know more than that."

Danny pursed his lips and nodded unsure if he wanted to know more than that. "How do I get out of here?"

"You have to find my domain, Daniel. You need a ghost portal"

Dread pooled in Danny's stomach and he paled. "But what if I can't find one? I'm not really sure my mom would have one now."

Clockwork shook his head. "You will have to find one, Daniel. You have to. I can give you four days. By 2AM Wednesday morning you need to be out."

"Clockwork, you're-"

Clockworks head glanced behind Danny before he interrupted him, "I must take my leave, Daniel."

"Wait, Clockwork," Danny protested.

"Four days, Daniel." Clockwork's face began to fade and Danny slammed his fist against the window.

"Hey! Clockwork I still have questions. You need to help me explain all of this to Daniel! Clockwork!"

Someone cleared their throat behind Danny and said, "If I knew you were crazy I would have left you on the floor of the hallway. Please, stop trying to brake my window."

Danny gulped as he turned around to find Daniel standing behind the bed. The light from the bathroom was surrounding him in a yellow halo. He wore a pair of pajama pants and a white T-shirt. His hair was a shade darker than normal and stuck up every-which-way. A white bandage wrapped around Daniel's forehead was the only sign of what had passed.

He was carrying a first aid kit and some more bandages.

Daniel dumped the supplies on his bed as he said, "I brought you some first aid stuff." Daniel gave Danny a once over before continuing, " Not that you'll need it, it seems. The bathroom's through that door. You should probably shower."

Danny looked down at himself and frowned. His clothes were ripped and dotted with spots of dried blood. There wasn't a cut to be seen on Danny's body. White dust clung to him in the strangest, most uncomfortable places. He nodded, "I guess I could use one. Man this is my favorite shirt! I don't even want to know what my hair looks like." Danny cracked a smile looking up at Daniel. Daniel avoided eye contact and picked at his comforter.

Danny tapped his hand against his leg trying to find a way to brake the awkward silence that had laid itself between the two. Lightning suddenly flashed and thunder boomed right after it. Daniel jumped and Danny failed to hide his snicker. Daniel glared at Danny before demanding, "Who are you?"

Danny shifted on his feet. "I told you. My name is Danny Fenton."

"No. You told me your name was Phantom."

Sweat broke out on Danny's forehead as the pieces fell into place._ I must have passed out. Daniel must have seen me change. Crap._ Quickly he tried to cover up his nervousness. "Pis-shaw, kid what are you even talking about?" Danny even threw in a hand flop and a hair flip. _Totally smooth_, he reassured himself.

Daniel seemed unconvinced. "Stop screwing with me, Daniel. Tell me who you are."

Danny chewed his lip trying to decide what to do. "I am a figment of your imagination. All of this is one big lucid nightmare."

Daniel glared at Danny and gestured to his forehead as he said, "I got a cut and didn't wake up. It's not a nightmare."

"I did say lucid." Daniel deepened his glare so badly that Danny felt he needed to turn into Jackie Chan to avoid the daggers. Danny resorted to sighing. "If I told you you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me. I've seen some pretty unbelievable shit today and have the injury to prove it. Now tell me who you are, what you are doing in my house, and why the Knight Guy attacked me."

Danny finally gave in. "Fine. You might want to sit down for this." He walked to the desk and sat on the chair backwards sticking his legs out.

Daniel's jaw worked as he tried to decide whether he wanted to yell at Danny of listen to him. Eventually he elected to sit on his bed.

Danny ran a hand through his hair scattering plaster dust. He waved the dust away and blew out a loud sigh. "I don't really understand it but I'll explain the best that I can."

"You better," Daniel said.

Danny gave him a look before taking a moment to collect his thoughts. _May as well not sugar coat it._

"I'm you," Danny said staring Daniel straight in the eyes.

"What?" Danny could see the disbelief in Daniel's face.

"I'm you from another timeline."

Daniel shook his head saying, "Man, here I am thinking we were actually going to get somewhere and it turns out you're just crazy."

"No, I'm serious," Danny said hoping Daniel could see that sincerity in his face. "Maddie is my mother. I live in Amity Park. I've been around for fifteen and a half years."

Daniel shook his head. Fear entered his gaze as he said, "No, that's- that's not possible. I've seen enough Doctor Who and read enough books to know that it's not possible to meet the other you without repercussions."

Danny chewed his lip. "That's just it, though. There have been repercussions. When we first touched," The words flew out of Danny's mouth faster than he could think them, "There was that freaky headache. I know you felt it."

Danny watched Daniel's face pale as he thought about it. "But, what about Phantom?"

"What about him?" Danny asked confused by the sudden subject change.

"Who is he? Or… What are you? If you're me, why don't I know him?" Daniel asked

Danny's lip was beginning to feel sore from being chewed. "Well, I think you've figured out that Phantom is, uh, well actually me."

Daniel gave a small nod, "I had a theory but wasn't sure. How, um, how'd that happen?"

Danny shrugged he didn't really want to share the story but if Daniel was going to help him… Danny took a deep breath before beginning. "I was in an accident about a year and a half ago."

Daniel was watching him with unwavering attention.

"My parents are scientists with a bit of an, ah, obsession. They're ghost hunters."

Daniel's eyebrows disappeared into his bangs, "Ghost hunters?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "You can't tell me that after all you've seen today you still don't believe in ghosts."

"I'm still not completely sure about it but you've got me pretty damn close to convinced."

Danny raised his own eyebrows in surprise but continued, "Anyway, I came home one day with my friends Sam and Tucker."

Daniel made a strange noise that Danny chose to ignore. "My parents called us down to their lab to show us one of their latest experiments. On the way down to the lab we passed my sister Jazz. She told us if we knew what was good for us we'd get out of there asap. We ignored her, as usual.

"I'd never seen my parents so excited about an experiment. They never worked well, the experiments. Sometimes they didn't work at all. Most often they'd explode and we'd have to evacuate the house for a few days. Once we had to call in a haz-mat team." Danny smiled at the memory before pulling himself back on track.

"Anyways, this time my parents had carved a giant hole out of the wall. They spent months down there. They wouldn't tell Jazz or me what they were doing down there. We'd wake up in the morning to find half drunken coffee cups scattered around the house from them trying to stay awake during the night.

"When they finally let us into the basement again my dad called it a ghost portal. My mom was more technical. She said that because of this 'portal' we'd be able to see a whole new dimension, a world that mirrored ours. A world that was filled to the brim with ghosts.

"My friends and I questioned their validity but I wanted to give my parents a chance. If this worked it'd be their coolest experiment by far.

"My parents plugged it in and, well," Danny paused, lost in the memory.

" What happened?" Daniel asked. He was on the edge of his seat. For a moment Danny had forgotten he was there. It was the first time he'd ever told someone about the accident since, well, since the accident.

"Nothing," Danny continued. "Absolutely nothing happened. My parents were devastated, all that work for nothing. They went upstairs, unable to face one of their biggest flops.

"I was going to follow them but Sam stopped me. She wanted to investigate some more and I was always eager to please her. So, I pulled on a jumpsuit and walked into the portal and, I'm not really sure what happened-"

"You died," Daniel interrupted.

"What?" Danny asked, alarmed.

"I've had a dream about this almost every night for as long as I can remember. It's a reoccurring nightmare. I pull on the suit, Sam slaps a symbol on my chest, I step into the hole and I wake up because my heart stops beating."

The pair stared at each other breathing like they each had just run a mile.

The sound of footsteps a floor below shocked Danny out of his state.

"Daniel, where are your parents?"

Daniel

"What?" Daniel asked feeling like Danny's question had come out of left field. The relief Daniel had felt at finding out where his nightmare came from fled his stomach as Danny repeated his question, "Where are your parents?"

"Across the house. They usually go to bed around ten or eleven. As soon as I was old enough I moved as far away from them as I could get. Why?"

Danny put a hand up to quiet him. Daniel stared at the kid like he was crazy. He looked like he was crazy, too. While Daniel had been explaining his nightmare the pair had stood up out of excitement. Danny had Albert Einstein hair that stuck up everywhere and was painted white by the plaster dust. His clothes were ripped and bloody and an unidentified green substance stained his jeans in various places. He was staring at the floor and he seemed to be listening for something.

"Hey, kid," Daniel snapped annoyed, "You want to share with the public what's going on?"

"Pretend to be asleep," Danny suddenly said snapping his head up.

"What?" Daniel asked as Danny ran along the edge of his bed. The startling grace with which he moved reminded Daniel of Phantom he realized with a tiny gasp.

"Someone is coming down the hall," Danny cried as he face planted into the nest of blankets. _Graceful my ass_, Daniel scolded himself as he watched Danny throw a blanket over his legs to cover up the fact he was wearing jeans.

Daniel fell back into his own bed wrapping the comforter around himself knocking the first aide supplies to the floor. Daniel squeezed his eyes shut and tried to slow the speed of his heart.

The room fell into an uneasy silence. It was quiet long enough for Daniel to begin to question Danny's judgement. Daniel was about to say something when his bedroom door opened. Through half lidded eyes Daniel watched a figure enter his room. The figure wore a gaudy blue and black jumpsuit that covered their face and carried a huge metal gun. Daniel's heart rate quickened and he had to make an effort to slow his breathing. The figure looked around the room waving the gun around. Seemingly satisfied the figure put the gun down on the floor and sighed. Daniel's breath hitched in his throat as the figure walked toward his bed. Unsure of what was going to happen Daniel tensed his muscles in preparation to fight.

The figure stopped at the edge of Daniel's bed, reached up and pulled their hood down. Daniel couldn't hold in the gasp that ran threw his lips as he recognized his mother. Maddie looked down at her son with love in her eyes.

"Oh, my baby," Maddie muttered as she stroked Daniel's cheek. Daniel shifted under his mother's touch using the opportunity to his advantage.

Maddie smiled before looking down and laughing quietly to herself. Danny was wrapped up in an afghan she had made Daniel. Maddie knelt down and pulled the blanket up to cover the child fully.

Daniel heard his mother mutter something about bonding before she rose. He watched her smile one last time at the pair before a more serious expression took over. Maddie turned around and walked over to her gun hoisting it on her shoulder. She pulled her hood over her eyes and left the room taking care to close the door softly behind her.

Daniel counted to one-hundred under his breath before saying, "Holy freaking crap."

Danny laughed softly below him and said, "Let's agree to never do that again."

Daniel nodded vigorously. "What do we do now?" he asked. Danny sat up to look at Daniel; a serious expression had taken over his face.

"I need your help," He said.

Daniel felt his eyebrows knit together as he propped himself up on an elbow. "What do you need my help for?"

"I need you to help me find a ghost portal," Danny said plainly.

"Wait, what? You want my help to find the thing that has been the bane of my existence for my entire life?"

Daniel watched Danny's mouth twist as he bit his lip, "Yes. I guess I am."

The pain in Danny's eyes was too much for Daniel. He lied down on his back to think about it clearly. Danny's story was too elaborate to be a lie. Daniel wasn't sure about the whole 'I'm you from another dimension' bull but Danny seemed convinced that it was the truth. Daniel thought about what he had sworn to himself in the hallway earlier and cussed quietly. _I'm going to regret this._

"Alright," Daniel said turning to face Danny again, "I think I'll regret this but, I'll help you."

Relief flooded Danny's face. For a moment Daniel thought he might actually cry but then the moment passed.

"Awesome," Danny said. "When should we start?"

"Not tonight. It's late and with my," Daniel paused and looked at Danny wearily before saying, "Our, mother out patrolling the halls I don't think it's a good idea."

Danny nodded. He almost seemed relieved. Daniel's thoughts were interrupted by a huge yawn. Danny tried to fight it but he yawned too.

"Right, well," Danny started, "I think for now I should shower and we should catch some Z's. We'll figure out the rest in the morning."

Daniel nodded, "Sounds like a plan. Let me get you some clothes to sleep in."

* * *

Daniel lay on his back staring into darkness. The thunder and lightning had calmed into an angry rainstorm. Water assaulted his window mirroring the sounds coming from his bathroom door.

He sighed. The past half-hour had been even more taxing than the past three combined. The one thing that stuck out in his mind was the image of his mother clothed in a jumpsuit standing in the doorway like some blue super woman. He had tried not to show it while talking to Danny but it had freaked him out immensely.

Especially the fact that she was carrying a gun. This wasn't some small nine-millimeter either. This was a full-blown M-16 assault machine gun. If Daniel hadn't known better he would have thought Maddie was carrying a chain saw.

Daniel had never seen his mother act so defensively. For all of Daniel's life Maddie had been a major pacifist. In fact, when Daniel's elementary school had been considering asking for a grant for a new football field Maddie's signature had been at the top of the PTG petition to have the field torn up. They said inserting a football field would cause too many fights to break out among the small children.

Another thought pushed it's way to the front of Daniel's troubled brain. _"On the way down to the lab we passed my sister, Jazz."_ Danny had a sister? _Why don't I have a sister? I wonder what she's like? She sounds a whole heck of a lot smarter if she knew to get out of there._

Something else bugged Daniel: _"Sam, Tucker, and I were going to my house."_ Were these the same Sam and Tucker that Daniel knew? He seemed much closer to them than Daniel was. _Is, than I am._ Daniel forced himself to say. I_ am here. I exist. I am myself no matter what some screwed in the head kid says. Even if he is supposed to be alternate me._

What was another thing. Did his alternate family live in another house? Danny had mentioned a basement and Daniel knew for a fact that the mansion didn't have a basement. Only a wine cellar.

Also what were Daniel's alternate parents like? They sounded a bit eccentric by the way Danny talked about them. Daniel tried to imagine his father doing an experiment and he laughed out loud. Daniel could just see Vlad getting a drop of foreign chemical substance on his sweater. He'd have a heart attack. But, they also sounded happier. If they had a second kid, they would have to be, right? Maybe Vlad had never won the Packers in that universe. Ever since he'd accomplished his life's dream in this reality, Vlad had grown distant from Maddie and Daniel. Daniel could see it affecting his mother too, but that wasn't a track he wanted to go down right now.

_"My parents are scientists with a bit of an obsession. They're ghost hunters."_ That was the strangest thing. Vlad hated ghosts. Even hated was an understatement. He despised them, vehemently. When he was younger, Daniel had once wanted to be a ghost for Halloween. He had made the costume himself -all he did was cut eyeholes out of a bed sheet-and he was really proud of himself. When he went to show his parents his masterpiece his father went ape shit. He forced Daniel to throw the sheet away right then and there. Daniel probably would have been grounded too if Maddie hadn't been there to intervene. Since that day there had been a strict "We Do Not Talk About Ghosts In This House" policy.

Amidst all the worry flying around his brain Daniel didn't notice himself falling asleep. Next thing he knew he was falling under the familiar blanket of black.

* * *

**9/18/14 So basically, Daniel ponders the meaning of his life. Nothing too major but necessary. Also remind me never to update at one in the morning again. DX**

**A/N: So how'd it go? did you stay awake? Good! (At least I hope the answer's good :P) Anyway, I want you people to know that you totally influenced the direction this is going to take -_- but, that's not a bad thing :D. No longer is this story only going to be four chapters of so, haha.**

**I have a favor to ask of you guys. I need a better summary. Right now it sucks so major brownie points to whoever can help me figure out a new one. **

**Huge thank you's to all the peeps who commented last chapter. I really needed to hear those. Also props to Panfan87 for guessing the whole "Where are Maddie and Vlad thing?" But seriously, I love all of you.**

**Until next time, GeekyZelda.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'M SO SORRY THAT THIS TOOK SO LONG. I'M BACK WITH A VENGEANCE. **

**There's an addition at the end of chapter 4 for anyone who hasn't read it. IT's nothing major. Just Daniel contemplating life. Thank you, thank you, thank you to MsFrizzle (who's name I spelled wrong last chapter D: Sorry!) for pointing out a major plot hole. Also, never let me update at one AM ever again.**

**Enjoy this chapter. It's longer than #3 and was almost longer but I got impatient. **

**See you at the end!**

* * *

Chapter 5

Daniel woke to sore muscles and a painful brain. The peaceful golden light flowing freely through his curtains told Daniel it was Sunday morning.

Saturday was a blur. Daniel had spent most of the day in bed fighting the massive headache that accompanied the gouge on his forehead. He had emerged only once, around midday, to find some lunch. He had run into Maddie while walking to the kitchen. He remembered her making some inquiry about his forehead. Daniel had made up some cock and bull excuse about slipping in the shower before making a 180-degree turn back to his bedroom, forgoing the food.

Daniel swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. His headache from the day before was gone, only to be replaced by a duller one. This pain, however, told Daniel something different.

He needed _food_.

Like a zombie, Daniel rose from bed and stumbled out of his room. A slightly more aware part of his brain took note of the missing teenager from the floor.

Daniel stumbled down two flights of stairs and through the immaculately clean foyer into the main dining room. As Daniel shuffled through the doorway he passed Vlad who was on his way out of the room.

"Good morning, son! Your mother said you fell in the shower yesterday and couldn't get out of bed. How's you head today?" Vlad asked. He was dressed in a suit and had a briefcase in one hand and a piece of jam coated toast in the other.

"M' head's fine. Are you going to work?" Daniel mumbled as he squinted up at his father. Vlad sighed.

"Alas, duty calls, m'boy."

"But, it's Sunday," Daniel protested.

"I know son, but the first game of the season is Thursday and we need to talk about strategy!"

"Couldn't you just do it over the phone or something?"

Vlad shook his head. "You know how irritated the team gets when I'm not there. I'm the mediator."

"You're also the boss. You should be able to do what you want!"

Vlad barely let Daniel finish his sentence before cutting him off, "Daniel, this is my job. I have to go to the office. You know that."

Daniel glared at the floor. "That doesn't mean that I have to like it," he mumbled.

Vlad laughed lightly. "I know, son. Don't worry, next week I'm be home and we can go up our old hiking path what do you think of that?" Daniel made a non-committal shrug and Vlad smiled. Ruffling Daniel's hair he said, "I'll see you later today, Daniel." And he was gone. Daniel watched the front door close, brooding. _Of course he would leave. Only my father ever works on a Sunday when he could easily do stuff on Monday_.

Shoving his anger aside Daniel continued his expedition for food by walking into the dining room. He plopped down angrily in his seat, much to his mother's surprise.

"Nice to see the zombie out of its domain. How's your head, Sweetie?" Maddie asked.

Daniel grunted a reply. He was too tired and upset to formulate a real reply. Instead, he reached for the Frosted Flakes and milk. Maddie shook her head.

"You are such a teenager."

Daniel replaced his usual starky remark of, 'That's because I am one' with a smile full of sugary Cornflakes. Earning him a glare for his poor table manners.

Maddie reached across the table to grab multiple sealed envelopes and a letter opener from a silver platter. Daniel never really thought about the servants. 'Hired staff' his parents called them. At least they got paid more than minimum wage. It was nice to have someone to clean the house and do your chores for you.

Maddie opened the mail and Daniel ate his sugar flakes. The pair sat in mutual sleepy silence for a moment before another zombie stumbled into the dinning room. Danny sat himself down at the table and pulled a bowl, spoon, milk jug and the box of Cheerios toward himself. Danny mixed the ingredients in his bowl before he lazily began to eat his food.

Maddie smiled and shook her head. "Boy, if I didn't know better I would've sworn you two were related."

Daniel's spoon froze half way to his mouth and Danny's clattered from his hand to his bowl. The pair shared a look.

"Boy, mom, what gave you that idea?"

Maddie eyed them suspiciously. "Mother's intuition, I guess."

Daniel breathed the smallest sighs of relief and went back to his food. He wasn't sure why that had freaked him out as much as it had. Danny got the hint that everything was okay and he picked up his spoon again.

Maddie let the boys start on their second servings before asking, "So, Danny, do you remember anymore?"

Daniel looked up from his bowl, glancing between the boy and his mother. R_emember anymore of what?_

Danny slowly finished chewing and swallowed before shaking his head. "No, I don't. I just remember that there was an accident."

_Accident?_

Maddie leaned across the table and stared at Danny with a face that Daniel recognized as her I'm-Not-Giving-This-Up face.

"Nothing?" She inquired. "Surly, you would remember your parents names by now. At the very least."

Danny shook his head and tugged at his borrowed pajama shirt collar as he said, "Nope, nothing." He knocked on his head for emphasis and Daniel rolled his eyes.

Maddie sat back. She looked appeased but not ready to give the issue up entirely.

Daniel tried to catch Danny's eye to ask what that was about but Danny kept his eyes firmly trained on his food. Daniel slowly went back to his food, glancing up at the boy once in a while.

After a few more minutes Maddie interrupted the silence yet again. "So, sweetie, are you going on your hike today?"

Daniel winced like Maddie had hit him. He'd been hoping she wouldn't bring that up.

"Hike?" Danny asked around a mouthful of mutilated Cheerios.

"Oh, Daniel hasn't told you about his weekly hike?" Maddie asked Danny while shooting a strange look at her son. "Every Sunday Daniel takes a hike up the mountain behind out house. Why don't you go with him? Daniel, ask our guest to go with you on your hike."

Daniel took a deliberate moment to finish chewing his Frosted Flakes, glaring at Maddie the entire time. When he finally swallowed he spat, "Fine." in Danny's direction. Danny shifted uncomfortably and chased the last few Cheerios around his bowl. Maddie sat back with a satisfied look on her face and went back to the mail.

Daniel sucked down the puddle of milk from his bowl and dropped the porcelain dish on the table before standing up.

"Do you have any clothes?" He asked Danny. Danny looked up from his bowl of milk to shake his head.

"No, I lost everything in the accident."

Daniel raised his eyebrows and was about to ask what accident he was talking about when his mother spoke before him.

"You can borrow some of Daniel's, sweetie."

Daniel glared at his mom again before rolling his eyes again. He eyes were starting to get tired from all the movement of the past three days. Daniel motioned for Danny to follow him before turning around and storming out of the room. He didn't even look to make sure Danny was following him.

Maddie

Maddie watched the boys leave with apprehension written all over her face.

A side door to the dining room opened and, Mori, one of the more caring hired hands, stepped into the room carrying a plate of eggs Benedict and a glass of cranberry juice. Mori crossed the space and set the plate and glass down in front of Maddie.

"Your breakfast, Mrs. Masters."

Maddie smiled up at the girl. "Thank you, Mori." She said before picking up her fork.

Mori nodded and turned to leave. She was almost to the staff door before she decided to take a chance and turned back around.

"Are you feeling alright, Mrs. Masters?" She asked.

Maddie's fork squealed against her plate. The women shuttered at the noise.

"Yes, quite," Maddie said hoping her smile wasn't too forced.

Mori gave Maddie an once over before saying, "If you say so, Mrs. Masters." She turned to leave but stopped when Maddie said her name.

"Mori, do you think Daniel has been acting… differently?" Maddie spit out before she had the chance to change her mind.

Mori chewed her lip as she thought about it. "I wouldn't know Ma'am. I think John would be the person to ask about Daniel."

"Yes, of course. John would know," Maddie said in a clear dismissal. Mori took the opportunity and left the room.

Maddie picked up her fork and began to eat. John was the garden caretaker. He talked to Daniel almost every day. If anyone in the house would know what was wrong with Daniel it would be him.

But then there was still the matter of Danny. He was such an odd duck and Maddie couldn't help but get the impression that he wasn't telling the entire truth. On Saturday Maddie had caught him sneaking around the halls. When she asked he said that he'd been looking for the bathroom. While she lead him to the room Maddie took the chance to grill him some more. All she managed to get out of the boy was that his parents had been in an accident and nothing more. He didn't even seem that worried.

However, Maddie had managed to catch one name between Danny's mumbling. Jack Fenton. That was a name she hadn't heard some twenty years. She and Jack had had a strong relationship going until the accident. Maddie had even imagined herself married to the bumbling fool. But that was all it had been, a fantasy born from her fresh out of the teenage years mind.

"I didn't know he had any family," Maddie spoke to the empty room. Then another thought occurred to her. Last month a flier had come inviting Vlad and Maddie to their college reunion. Perhaps Maddie could trace Jack through the reunion. It was a long shot but it was a place to start if she wanted to find anything out about their special guest.

"To the library then," Maddie said to herself as she stood. She left the room leaving an empty plate and glass behind.

Daniel

Daniel wasn't mad. No, he wasn't upset. He wasn't pissed. He was absolutely livid.

His hike was a private thing. A personal escape from the hell of life. Now his mom was forcing him to take the weirdest, craziest kid he had ever met. Daniel swore to himself that he would never forgive her for this.

A small "Whoa" from behind him broke Daniel from his mental rant. Daniel looked up to see one of his favorite-and and one of the steepest-parts of the hike.

In front of him the cliff sloped quickly down. Aspen trees, long grass, and wild berry bushes crowded the side of the hill all the way down the mountain, breaking at intervals for the hiking trail. Looking farther out the city of Silvins took over. Houses built on the bottom of the mountainside slowly gave way to glass domes and steel fortresses.

Daniel glanced behind him to see Danny had stopped a few feet down the trail. His jaw hung open as he gazed across the valley.

"This is incredible," Danny suddenly said.

A spark of smugness jumped around in Daniel's stomach. "What, has dad never taken you up here before?"

A guilty look flashed across Danny's face and he shifted the borrowed backpack on his shoulders into a more comfortable position. "Uh, no. He hasn't."

_Well, at least there's something I've got going for me_, Daniel thought.

"Come on," Daniel suddenly said. "This isn't even the best part."

As the boys walked a subtle curve in the path hid the city again. A few more minutes of walking revealed the worst part of the hike, an almost straight, vertical slope. Boulders stuck out of the orange dust.

"We're going up that?"

Daniel turned around and almost laughed at the disbelief on Danny's face. "Yeah, boulder hopping is one of the best parts about this hiking trail," Daniel said. Seeing the look on Danny's face he added, "Is that a problem?"

"Uh, no. I'd just really rather not climb up the side of a mountain."

Daniel snorted. "You can't even climb some simple rocks? Some super hero you are." Daniel ignored the angry outburst behind him and he began to boulder hop.

_If he stays down here maybe I can actually get some alone time_, Daniel thought to himself.

Daniel quickly made it to the top and did a small stretch. He turned around and was surprised to see Danny already half way up the peak meticulously picking his way up. Daniel felt his respect for the kid rise, but only slightly.

Daniel watched Danny pause on top of a big boulder as he evaluated his next move.

"Try putting your foot there and grabbing that rock," Daniel pointed as he suggested.

Danny looked up in surprise but did as suggested and suddenly he was almost to the top.

"Here," Daniel said as he reached his hand out to help. Danny accepted it gratefully and Daniel helped haul the other boy up. Danny put his hands on his knees to catch his breath before standing up to survey the area.

They were on a flat plateau of sorts. The ground was packed flat with various hiking shoe prints. Rocks stuck up from the dirt here and there. More rocks were shoved to the edge of the area forming a natural knee high guardrail. The side of the mountain sloped away at an angle that was steep but not impossible to climb down. Pine and aspen trees covered the mountains for as far as the eye could see.

The view was the best part. The hiking path had curved around the mountain so the city had disappeared behind giant pine trees. In front of the pair was a large dip between mountain peaks. Pine trees and other green trees covered the area creating a fuzzy green blanket. A river lay at the bottom of the crevasse where the peaks met. It was breath taking. The boys were even high enough that a small mist clung to the river and flooded the basin.

"Whoa," Danny gasped as he took it all in. "What is this place?" he asked.

"You mean the plateau?" Daniel shrugged. "Dad and I figure some backpackers found it first and it became part of an intentional hiking trail. We used to come up here all the time, almost religiously," Daniel smiled, lost in the memories. "Has dad never taken you up here?"

Danny, who'd been walking around the area as Daniel had been talking shrugged and shook his head evasively. He stopped walking. His attention drew to a rock in the guardrail.

"What's that?" He asked, pointing.

Daniel knew what he was talking about almost instantly but chose to play ignorant. "What's what?"

Danny knelt down to see the words better. "It's writing," he said. "Someone engraved some words on this rock."

Daniel didn't move. He stood behind Danny raging an internal debate on whether or not to tell Danny the truth.

"Hey, come look at this, it's kinda cool. It's, like, another language or something," Danny turned around smiling. The look on Daniel's face made Danny's eyebrows knit together. "You look like you swallowed a whole lemon," Danny said, smirking.

Daniel sighed and walked over to see the words. He looked down and tilted his head to the side. "Weird," he said trying to sound convincing. "I have no idea what it says."

Danny's smirk deepened as he said, "You are as bad a liar as I am. Sam would-" Danny cut himself off. "What does it say?"

Daniel gave Danny a look before he said, "It's veni, vini, vici. I means I came, I saw, I conquered. Caesar supposedly wrote it in a letter to the Senate of Rome when he defeated and captured this guy Phranaces. When dad finally won the Packers from the city of Green Bay we came up here and carved it into the rock." Daniel stared out over the juncture of the mountain as he spoke. "Dad was so happy when he got the letter of approval. I'd never seen him like that before. He said it was all because of us, mom and me. We gave him the motivation to keep fighting.

"'Don't ever give up on your dream, son. No matter how impossible they seem. Impossible is just one word. It even says I'm possible in the word! Do you know who said that, son? Audrey Hepburn, an amazing woman.' He had said. I never forgot that conversation."

"Oh," was Danny's only reply.

After a few moments of contemplative silence Daniel said, "Has dad really never taken you up here? He loves this place so much I thought he'd always come up here, no matter what."

Danny shifted uncomfortably. "Daniel, there's something I need to tell you," Danny said.

_Ah_, Daniel thought, _The final piece of the puzzle_.

"Are you going to tell me the truth?" Daniel asked.

"Oh, like you just tried to tell me?" Danny snapped.

Daniel shrugged a bit. "Touché."

Danny shook his head and ran a hand through his hair before diving right in. "Where I come from Vlad doesn't own the Packers. The city wouldn't sell it to him or something."

"That's it?" Daniel asked. "That's the big secret?"

"Well, part of it. I've been thinking."

"Uh-oh."

Danny ignored Daniel's interruption. "I think you're more like my, half-brother than me."

"Wait, what?"

"Well, you see, uh, I don't really know how to explain it-"

"Vlad isn't your dad is he?" Daniel guessed.

"Whoa, how'd you know?" Danny asked, surprised.

"Is that sarcasm?" When Danny shook his head Daniel said, "It doesn't take a genius to figure it out. You talk about my dad like he's more of a germ then a human. So, what? Do we know each other where you come from?"

"See that's the hard part," Danny said.

"What is?"

Danny took a deep breath before he blurted, "Vlad doesn't have any children where I'm from."

Daniel took a moment to process that. "What?" his voice was surprisingly small.

"At least, none that I know of," Danny said. "It's actually a creepy thought that he'd have any." Danny ended by making a face.

"What are you talking about?" Daniel asked still confused. "Then who's my dad? You said we were half brothers."

"Well, Yeah, but in my universe I only have one sibling. My sister, Jazz."

"So we're not related?" Daniel's voice had steadily growing higher along with the confusion in his eyes.

"Let me start from the beginning."

"Please, do!" Daniel cried.

So Danny did. "It's a long story but basically, Vlad, who in my universe is like me, half ghost. He infected my best friends with this deadly disease called ecto-acne. So, I went into the ghost-zone to find a cure but this guy Clockwork told me that I could only cure them by going back in time and find a cure there.

"He sent me back to when my parents were in college, which was really weird by the way, and I thought the solution was pushing Vlad out of the way of the ghost portal blast. That just ended up making things ten times worse. My dad ended up with ecto-acne but I didn't know it until I got back to the future.

"When I got back I could tell something was wrong but I didn't know what it was. When I flew to my house only my dad was there. It turns out he has ghost powers now instead of Vlad. When I went to search for my mom, well, it lead me to what I guess is your house."

Danny kicked a small rock off the cliff as he continued. "Now I don't know what to do. That's why I need your help to find a ghost portal. Then I can go back to Clockwork and find the real cure and fix this huge mess."

At some point during Danny's speech Daniel's knees had started to shake before giving out. He had sat down on a rock and dropped his head into his hands. Words like Ghost-zone, ghost portal, Clockwork, past, future, and ecto-acne flew over his head. They swirled around his brain making him feel sick.

"I don't understand," Daniel said. "What does that all mean?"

"Well, I guess-and I'm just guessing, but, you see, I've never met another Daniel before. Especially one my age," Danny cut himself off with a groan. "Why does this have to be so hard to explain? Look, Daniel, this is my fault, all of this. Now Sam and Tucker could be dead for all I know and this entire journey will have been for absolutely nothing."

Daniel watched as days worth of anger suddenly poured out of Danny.

"Clockwork won't tell me anything, dad's useless as always, mom's not any better and I'm no where close to the end. This is my fault, all of it. This future shouldn't even exist! None of it! Not dad, not mom and Vlad's marriage, heck, not even you!" Danny yelled without thinking. That last point struck a cord with Daniel. Confusion flared into anger and he snapped.

"Shouldn't exist? Shouldn't exist? That is it. That's the last flipping straw," Daniel shot to his feet, his voice rose to a yell and he shouted, "I've got a news flash for ya, _buddy_. This 'alternate dimension' or future or timeline or _whatever_ exists. This is real. My life exists. I don't need some crazed, crackpot druggie barging in and ruining it. This is real. _I_ exist, _my life_, exists!" Before he knew what he was doing Daniel had turned and stormed away down the mountain.

Danny

Danny watched Daniel go. When he was gone Danny turned to the sky and screamed in frustration.

"Why do you have to do this to me? Clockwork, I swear, next time I see you I'm going to beat your skinny butt all the way to the Far Frozen."

Danny took a deep breath and sat down on the victory rock. He decided to let Daniel cool down before he chased him down.

"I'd really rather not go after him but it's either get his help or be stuck here forever and that doesn't sound too appealing."

Danny reveled in the scenery before he stood and rubbed his sleepy bottom awake.

"I shouldn't have told him about all of this," Danny muttered.

He was about to chase after Daniel when a cold spot at the base of his spine made Danny freeze. The spot traveled up his spine and exited his mouth in a puff of white mist.

Danny groaned, "Not now!" Then another thought occurred to him.

"Daniel!"

Daniel

Daniel stocked down one of the more isolated parts of the trail trying to calm down. He'd never been this angry in his life. He could even feel the heat of anger in his chest that's how bad it was.

Daniel stopped a moment to observe his surroundings and take a few deep breaths. The entire hiking trail was almost two miles long. Daniel was about a half-mile from the top. The path was skinny here, only allowing for a single file line. Long grass and wildflowers brushed Daniel's ankles. Trees rose yards above him almost obscuring the morning sun.

Daniel had a penchant for nature. It always managed to calm his nerves. Whenever his parents got into a fight (which wasn't often) Daniel would hike to the one-mile marker and just sit in the grass. The trees would block the view of the city and Daniel could imagine that he was the only person in the world, at least for a few minutes. The smells of the wildflowers and wild fruits and sage bush would combine to crate a 'sanctuary to exhilarate the senses' as Daniel's father would say. For a long time Daniel didn't understand what that meant but he love the way it fell out of his mouth.

Daniel shook himself out of his memories and back into the present. What Danny had said had scared Daniel more than he would like to admit. It was cheesy and cliché to say but Daniel had always felt like something had been… off in his life. Once in a while he would daydream about another life. One where he had good friends rather then just good acquaintances. One where he had siblings to annoy and be annoyed by. Where he went to a public school and came home every day rather than a preppy boarding school where he didn't belong. A life where he was a hero. A hero of what, Daniel had no idea but it sounded nice. At least, nicer then what Daniel had now.

"Daniel."

The boy jumped and mentally scolded himself for being so aloof. He looked around for the voice that had knocked him out of his reverie. Daniel turned to his left and peered into the trees. The leaves were dense enough to obscure the sunlight creating a dim but cheery green glow.

Suddenly two hands appeared on Daniel's back and shoved, hard.

"Ahh!" Daniel's feet left the ground and he was flying through the air. A tree branch appeared and whacked Daniel in the stomach arresting his short trip and knocking the breath out of him. He dropped five feet to the slanted forest floor further shocking his diaphragm. Daniel rolled a few feet until his legs caught on a sage bush and he finally stopped. Daniel rolled onto his side and pulled his knees into his stomach as he tried to get his lungs to work again. Metal covered feet floated down from the sky to rest a couple of inches off of the ground in front of Daniel's watery vision. A hand grabbed the front of Daniel's shirt and lifted him off the ground his feet dangling in the air. Suddenly, Daniel was face to mask with Aetas Mors.

"Hello, child," Mors spat before he threw Daniel a few more feet in front of him. As Daniel landed on his butt his diaphragm was jarred into working again. A deep breath allowed Daniel's brain to work again.

"What do you want?" Daniel wheezed.

Mors floated over the boy. His staff materialized in his hand and he shoved it in Daniel's face as he said, "My master called me off last time but he does not currently know where I am. I plan to retrieve what I came for. Where is the halfa?"

"Halfa?" Daniel knew that could only mean one person. "You mean the other guy? I don't know," Daniel lied as he sat up on his elbows wincing at the pain that spiked in his core.

"You are bluffing, human. Tell me now and you could be spared," Mors pushed his crystal forward until Daniel had to cross his eyes to see it.

"Honest!" Daniel cried, praying that he didn't look too guilty. "I don't know where he is." After all, that was true. Danny could have moved from the top of the mountain by now. Daniel wasn't sure why he was risking his life, again, for this kid. Yet, that connection Daniel had felt to Danny on Friday had returned in full force. It almost felt like, if Daniel didn't protect Danny his life would be put in danger too. Not like it wasn't already.

Daniel's answer wasn't the one Mors was looking for. He roared angrily and swung his staff over his head. Daniel threw his own arms over his head and cried, "Danny, if I die here, I swear to hell and back that I will come back and haunt your sorry ass!"

Mors swung his arms down. Right as he was about to crush Daniel's skull a solid glob of ectoplasm accompanied with a "Hey!" smashed into the swinging staff. The stick flew out of Mors hands in a windmill of death. It hit a tree and dropped to the ground.

Mors roared again out of anger and spun around to see whom his assailant was. Daniel between Mors floating, metal covered legs to see Danny standing on the hiking trail like some kind of maniacal super hero. His hand was held out in front of him like he had just high-fived someone at chest height. His borrowed backpack lay forgotten on the ground by his feet.

"I know it's hard to get his attention but somehow, I don't think hitting him over the head is the best way to do it. I do give you points for creativity though," Danny cried as an impish grin stretched across his face.

"There you are child," Mors said, his voice echoing around his helmet. "I'll admit. This is not my preferred way to fight but it'll do." Mors wasted no more time talking and formed an ectoplasmic ball of energy and fired it at Danny.

With faster reflexes than Daniel had credited him with Danny spun away from the ball catching it on a darker green shield.

While Danny was distracted Mors whirled around and tried to run-well, fly-to his staff. Before he could think better of it, Daniel grabbed Mors ankle and clung to it for dear life.

Mors flopped to the ground. He turned to glare down his spectral body and found Daniel looking scared as a fly caught in a spider's web. Daniel saw Mors' leg that he wasn't hanging onto start to lift. He had seen enough action movies to know it was either move now or lose some teeth. He let go of the leg and rolled to the side, straight into a patch of prickly stickers.

Mors rose to his feet only to come face to face with a white haired Danny.

"Boo," Danny said before he smashed his fist into Mors face-plate. Mors toppled over backwards, hitting his metallic head with a resounding clang.

While Mors was dazed Danny turned to Daniel and said, "The thermos that fell out of the closet on Friday? It's in the backpack. Go grab it."

Daniel scrambled to his hands and knees trying to ignore the painful pinpricks from the stickers. "Why do you want soup at a time like this?" Daniel asked bewildered.

"It's not for soup! Just go get it, please," Danny said. Mors began to stir and Daniel jumped to his feet. "Well since you said please," Daniel snapped sarcastically as he began to run back up the mountain using his hands to help climb. Danny flew the other way, trying to retrieve the staff before Mors could come to his senses.

Mors raised his head to see the boys running in opposite directions. He shot a ball of energy at Danny's back knocking him into a tree branch and to the ground. When Danny didn't rise Mors smirked-well, he smirked the best he could with a helmet for a face-and turned toward Daniel. Mors raised his hand to fire off a ball of energy when someone jumped on his back.

Danny clung to the grates in Mors mask as tightly as he could. The ghost flailed about trying to shake Danny off.

"Let me go you abhorrent adolescent!" Mors cried.

"No, and who says abhorrent anymore? You seriously need to update your vocabulary."

"Enough!" Mors roared. He lashed his hand out toward his staff. The stick lifted up off the ground and flew toward Mors at high velocity. Mors caught it and swung it over his head aiming for Danny. Danny realized what was happening and let go of Mors neck falling to the side. He hit the ground and kept rolling. Mors turned and blasted a crater in the ground chasing after Danny. One poorly aimed shot slashed across a tree slicing it in half. The tree groaned as it fell toward the pair of ghosts. Danny jumped uphill out of the way while Mors swung his staff. A line of glowing ectoplasm incinerated the tree before it hit the ground.

Mors turned toward Danny throwing three more slashed of ectoplasm. Danny jumped into the air flipping head over heels and landing on a tree branch. "Looks like someone needs to practice their aim," Danny taunted.

"I wasn't aiming for you," Mors responded, Danny could hear the grin in his voice. Danny spun around to see the ectoplasm flying straight towards Daniel.

"Daniel, duck!" Danny screamed at the top of his lungs.

When Daniel, who was feet away from the backpack, turned around to see more ectoplasm making a beeline toward his face he decided to do the right thing and, for once in his life, he listened without question. He dropped to the forest floor so hard he'd be picking dirt out of his chin for weeks. The green flew over head and slammed into the hillside just under the hiking trail. Danny's borrowed backpack slid into Daniel's face in a miniature landslide.

Mors did not take his failure well. He screamed and flew straight at Danny taking him by surprise. He swung his staff and smacked Danny across the face causing the teenager to fall out of the tree to the ground.

"No one makes a fool out of Aetas Mors and gets away with it!" the ghost cried landing over the boy.

"That's a shame. I've managed to do it three times. Two of them in one day!" Danny retorted. He pushed off the ground in a back flip kicking Mors under the chin.

"Daniel, where's the thermos?" Danny cried as he landed.

"I'm looking for it!" Daniel yelled back. "Be patient."

"We don't have time for patience!" Danny muttered as he ducked a metal fist and plowed into Mors chest. When the ghost didn't move Danny gulped.

While looking for Danny's lunch Daniel had emptied the contents of the backpack in a haphazard circle around him. Multiple water bottles and a first aid kit were slowly sliding down the hill while two rain jackets rested by Daniel's feet.

"How much crap did you bring?" Daniel cried as he thrust his hand in again only to come out with a plastic bag of sandwiches.

Danny's response was a scream. Mors had picked him up and threw him over Daniel's head. Daniel cursed. He snatched up the backpack and relocated to a safer spot away from the fighting.

Danny crashed into the side of the mountain. He shook his head and pushed off the ridge to meet Mors.

"I need more time," he muttered to himself. "If only I could make him talk." Addressing Mors, Danny asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Mors said firing a shot which Danny easily avoided.

"I would actually. What is a great and powerful ghost like you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, child," Mors said as he took aim and tried to hit Danny again. Danny flew out of the way of Mors ectoplasm and tried again, "Oh, I'm not trying to flatter you! I'm just genuinely curious as to why such a strong ghost is doing, what did you call it Friday, mercenary work."

"Clockwork pays me well for my services," Mors said. That caught Danny off guard.

"Clockwork? Why would he-Oof!" Mors had finally hit his mark. A ball of green caught Danny in the stomach and he tumbled to the ground.

"Got it!" Daniel suddenly yelled. He pulled a metal cylinder with a plastic lid out of the bag and held it over his head. He looked up in time to see Danny falling out of the sky straight toward him. Daniel jumped to the side, clutching the thermos to his chest. Danny landed on the backpack. His breath left him with a soft _whoosh_. Daniel stood over Danny holding the thermos out to him.

Danny wheezed his breath back in and said, "Point it at Mors and open it." Daniel turned on his heel messing with the tightly screwed on cap. A bolt of green energy hit the thermos knocking it out of Daniel's hand.

"Hey!" Daniel cried indignantly as he dove after the container. The thermos rolled away from Daniel under a sagebrush bush. He was about to reach for it when a metal foot slammed down in front of his vision. Someone, presumably Danny, tackled Daniel's back right as Mors staff slammed down passing through Daniel's head. The pair rolled to the side sliding a little farther down the slope.

"Oh geeze," Daniel said.

"Get the thermos," Danny practically shouted in Daniel's ear. He pushed off the ground and slammed into Mors just hard enough to knock the ghost over. Suddenly, the pair was flying figure eight's around trees in a desperate game of cat and mouse.

Daniel shoved his hand into the pain filled bush. His fingers brushed the thermos just out of reach. He pushed his arm in up to his shoulder, the branches scratching his face. Daniel's fingers found the handle on the cap and he pulled his hand out earning more scratches in return.

"I got it, Danny," Daniel cried.

"Good, now open it!"

Daniel finally managed to pry the cap off. The second he did a blue-white shot out of the thermos. Daniel almost dropped it again out of surprise.

"Point it over here," Danny stopped flying in circles long enough to face Daniel, Mors still following behind. Daniel pointed the thermos beam in front of him and Danny flew toward the sky. He escaped the beam by a hairs width. Mors, however, wasn't so lucky. He flew face first into the beam and was sucked into the thermos with a high pitched scream.

Daniel slammed the cap onto the food item and let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

Danny landed in front of Daniel. A ghostly smile stretched across his face. "You did good. We should nickname you the 'official keeper of the thermos'"

Daniel snorted. "Well."

"Well what?"

"I did surprisingly well, not good."

Danny rolled his eyes as he said, "Or your name could be 'official grammar nazi'. Either one works."

Daniel smiled and laughed and suddenly, he couldn't stop. He sat down clutching his sides. Danny started laughing too and soon he was doubled over and had tears in his eyes.

"'Who says abhorrent anymore?'" Daniel laughed imitating Danny to the best of his ability.

"'Why do you want soup at a time like this?'" Danny said between gasps.

The boys lied on the forest floor laughing and quoting each other until the sun was almost directly over head.

Finally, a thought occurred to Daniel that slowed his mirth to a stand still. "Oh God. What time is it? My mom's gonna think we ran away!"

"I doubt that," Danny said. "But none the less we should probably be heading back." Danny stood and transformed back to his human form. Daniel eyed the white rings as they glided up and down Danny's body. The sight sent chills down his spine.

"Yeah, let's go home. I have homework to do."

* * *

**A/N: Was that too scatterbrained? I feel like it might be. *Shrug* I've been listening to Midna's Lament for the past two hours while I transferred this from my notebook to Microsoft Word. That song is amazing. That's so off track.**

**Apparently I can only be funny when I'm sleep deprived. Most of the fight scene was first drafted at eleven at night. Anyway, please read and review! Whenever I got stuck someplace while drafting this I would look at the reviews &amp; they would help my motivation so much. **

**On a different note how was everyone's summer vacation? If you were in school for the past 3 months how'd that go? Is everyone excited for Halloween :F -get it? it's a vampire. **

**Alright, I'm done. Until next time! GeeyZelda**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_Vpr yp is_

_Xinw ri ya_

_Cpmr tp ys_

_Come to us_

_Savior, come to us_

_Dubs ya. Dubs ya._

_Find us. Find us._

_Rge PORTAL. Rge portal ua open._

_THE PORTAL IS OPEN_

_Pariah's Bane. You must return to your own time._

_Xinw tp ya. You must find us. _

_Wbs rgua rinekubw_

_End this timeline. _

_Adcuie id rge Fgiar Xibe, tiy nysr ewryb ri tiye iqb rune_

_Savior of the Ghost Zone, you must return to your own time _

_THE PORTAL IS OPEN._

_FIND US._

_COME TO US._

_THE PORTAL IS OPEN._

* * *

**A/N: Ghost speak anyone?**

**Let's get started again, shall we?**

**I kinda hate this website's forced formatting or this would be all over the page.**

**Until next time, GeekyZelda**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Daniel."

"Five more minutes mom," Daniel groaned and rolled over.

"Daniel, wake up already!"

Daniel opened his eyes to find himself staring at Danny Phantom. Daniel jerked back and glanced up at Phantom's face before burying his face in his pillow.

"Do I even want to know what time it is?" Daniel muttered into the fabric.

"Probably not," Danny admitted.

Daniel sighed and flipped back over. "What do you want?"

"I think I know where the ghost portal is," Danny said in an excited whisper. "We have to get up. We have to find it!"

Daniel furrowed his brow. "Why do you need me for that?"

Danny's face fell. "You said you'd help me and this is your chance. You want to get rid of me, don't you?" Daniel didn't deny it. "I thought so. If you want me out now's the time."

Daniel stared at the ceiling above his bed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Feeling like he was signing his life away, yet again, Daniel said, "Fine, what do I do?"

Danny shoved a bright silver and green gun toward Daniel. "Take this."

Daniel shrank away from the weapon fear clear in his face. "What do you expect me to do with that?"

Phantom raised an eyebrow. "If you're going out there you need to be able to defend yourself."

Daniel shook his head. "Where did you even find that?"

"The _supply closet_. Daniel, take it we're wasting time."

"I've never even held a gun before, how do you expect me to be able to do this?"

"You point and pull the trigger. It's not hard," exasperation tainted Danny's voice but Daniel couldn't bring himself to take the weapon.

"I can't. I _won't_. I won't _shoot _at people!"

Realization flickered in Danny's eyes and his voice softened, "It won't hurt humans, Daniel. It's an ecto-gun, meant for ghosts only. You probably won't even need to use it."

"It doesn't hurt people?"

A different look that Daniel couldn't identify passed over Danny's face. "No. It won't"

Daniel took a deep breath before taking the gun.

"For emergencies only."

"Right."

* * *

The boys crept down the hall jumping at every little noise. Daniel stared at the gun in his hands. He was having a hard time keeping it aimed at the floor.

If Danny didn't realistically think Daniel would have to use the gun why would he have given it to him? Daniel wished he had his baseball bat instead, he knew how to use that. Plus, you didn't have to know how to aim to hit your target. People recover faster from bruises than they do gun shots.

Daniel wished he had changed out of his pajamas. Who goes off on an adventure in his _PJ's_?

Daniel didn't notice that Danny had stopped moving until he ran straight into him.

"This doesn't make any sense!" Danny was muttering to himself. "The portal's right here. It's like I'm," Danny's eyes lit up, "Standing right on top of it!"

Danny suddenly grabbed Daniel's arm and they phased through the floor before Daniel could protest. They landed in the middle of the Master's private library. Danny glanced around and shook his head.

"Not down far enough."

Daniel yelped as they began to sink through the floor again. Before they were waist deep in floor Danny cried out in shock and the pair sprang out of the carpeting. Danny released his death grip on Daniel and hung his head, taking deep breaths.

Daniel started at him. "What happened?"

The other boy shook his head. "It's blocked from ghosts. I don't know how she does it."

Danny's smile sent a shiver down Daniel's spine. "How who does it?"

"Mom. There's a ghost shield around the lab." Danny glanced at the blank look on Daniel's face and elaborated, "It means that I can't phase through. We'll have to get to it the huma- normal way. There has to be a way to get in from here. Start looking."

Danny spun toward the shelves and started tugging at random books. Daniel rolled his eyes. It would take all week to find an entrance that way. Instead he turned toward the table and couch groups placed around the space. One group had books splayed out across the small round table. Daniel wandered over and was surprised to find a collection of yearbooks from his parent's college days. Since when did college's give out yearbooks?

The book was open to the graduating class of 1985. There was his mother Maddie, looking as eccentrically regal as always. Daniel smiled at her disgusting 80s haircut and flipped the page, looking for his father. As he turned the page a picture fell out of the binding. It was a photo of his parents with a big man standing behind them. The man had his arms wrapped around Vlad and Maddie. The trio looked comfortable as they laughed at the camera. They looked happy together.

Daniel flipped through the class headshots trying to find a face to match the unknown man in the photograph. There he was, Jack Fenton. He looked vaguely familiar but Daniel had no idea why.

"Whatcha lookin' at?"

Daniel jumped. Of course he hadn't heard Danny come up behind him.

"Just some stuff from my parent's college days. It's not important," Daniel replied. He made to put the picture down but Danny ripped it out of his hands. Daniel was about to object when he saw tears in Danny's eyes. Panic spiked in Daniel's stomach then Danny blinked and the tears were gone, like Daniel had imagined them.

Daniel took a risk and asked, "Danny, who is that?"

Danny bit his lip and considered not answering. "My dad." _Like it matters anyway_.

"Oh."

Danny's head suddenly shot up and he shoved Daniel down behind a couch right as the library's double doors sprang open. Daniel stuck his head between table and couch legs to see who it was.

Standing In the wide space was Maddie. She held a giant bazooka the same colors as the gun Daniel had. _The gun_! Where had it gone?

"Give me back my son you ectoplasmic creatin!" Maddie yelled before firing off a blast. Danny jumped into the air a split second too late. The foaming blast struck his legs and Danny pinwheeled wildly toward the door. Daniel gaped as his mother pulled out a long silver tube and a net sprang out of the device entangling Danny and forcing him to the ground. Daniel was too shocked to move.

Maddie marched over to the fallen ghost child and stuck the bazooka in his face. "Where. Is. My. Son?" Maddie enunciated each word with such force Daniel shrank back in his hiding place.

Danny didn't reply. He stared straight back at Maddie daring her to shoot.

"Where is he?" She pushed the gun farther up her shoulder.

"I don't know. " Danny's voice was as icy as the Arctic Ocean.

"You're lying!"

No reply.

"If you won't tell me voluntarily, I'll have to force it out of you _ghost_," Maddie spat before grabbing a fistful of net and hair and dragging Danny out the door.

Finally Daniel found his legs. He sprang to his feet, still behind the couch, and planned to call out. The look on Danny's face stopped him.

_No_, Danny mouthed. _Don't do it! Find the lab!_

* * *

Daniel stood stunned as he watched his mother drag Danny away.

Daniel ran through the hallway. He had forced himself to wait fifteen long minutes in the library before he couldn't take it any longer. He had to stop Maddie from hurting Danny. God knows what she'd do to get him to talk.

Daniel ran until he couldn't take the burning in his side any longer. He slumped against a wall and sank and sat on the floor heaving deep breaths. This is useless. He had no idea where Maddie had gone and running through an empty hall isn't useful in the least.

Daniel's hope faded quickly in the early morning light. It had to be close to 6 AM by now. Daniel stood as he caught his breath. he'd go back to the library, there had to be something to help him. There _has_ to be.

Daniel turned to retrace his steps and froze in place. Floating at eye level was a short, chubby, green skinned man. He had a wide handle bar mustache over a friendly smile. Kind eyes peeked out from under bushy eyebrows. He had on a regal red robe and the most ridiculous hat Daniel had ever seen. It was shaped like a giant cheese wedge and a small crown teetered on top.

"Hello, there young man," the ghost said his smile impossibly wide and his North American dialect incredibly thick. Daniel made a small noise deep in his throat and leveled the gun at the ghost's face.

"Who are you?" Daniel asked unable to keep his voice from wavering.

The ghost's smile didn't falter. "Watch where you're pointing that gun, young man. That can hurt people, don't you know."

"Who are you?" Daniel repeated more forcefully.

"I'm the Dairy king, don't you know!" The ghost replied with a laugh.

The gun sagged a bit. "The Dairy King?" Daniel asked incredulously.

The ghost nodded. "Well, I was in my time. You seem lost, young man."

Daniel hesitated. The ghost didn't seem dangerous but looks often deceive.

The ghost took Daniel's silence as an affirmation. "I could help you out, young man. I know this mansion like the back of my hand, don't you know!"

Daniel blinked in confusion. "You do?"

"Yessiree, I built this place &amp; have been here ever since! Now, where are you trying to get to?"

Daniel finally lowered the gun but kept his guard up. "Do you know anything about a secret lab?"

A troubled expression took over the Dairy King's face. "Why would you want to go there? That's a dark place, don't you know."

Daniel bit his lip. "My friend might be in trouble. I need to help him. Please, if you know how to get there, please, tell me."

The King sighed before floating down the hall a few feet. he turned back to see Daniel hadn't moved and motioned for the human to follow.

Daniel followed the ghost back to the front of the corridor. The King stopped before a painting of a pastoral scene Daniel had never paid much attention to.

"Push on the bottom right corner of the frame, young man," the King instructed.

Daniel did so and jumped back in surprise as the wall panel swung open wide. Daniel peered down the ominous, dark staircase and gulped. He had ran right pasted it and hadn't even realized it.

He turned back to the King. "Thank you so much."

The King smiled. "Your welcome there, young man."

Something bugged Daniel and he couldn't stop himself from asking, "Why did you help me?"

The King gave a mock gasp before responding, "Not all ghosts are evil, don't you know!"

Daniel smiled and nodded.

"The Phantom is a very important young ghost, young Daniel. Protect him, please, sir," The ghost added as he faded from view.

Daniel's heart sped up when the ghost said his name. It kept its pace as Daniel turned back to the stairs and slowly began a long descent into what Daniel hoped wasn't his end.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it's relatively short. We're coming down to the wire! IT's about to hit the fan**

**What'd you think of the new description?**

**Until next time, GeekyZelda**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Daniel had been descending for well over fifteen minutes and his calves were beginning to burn. The air was humid and muggy. The spiral concrete stairs were so steep Daniel had to rest a hand on the wall to his left to keep from tripping. His toes were falling asleep from a mix of icy chill and repetitive movement. The staircase went on and on like a steady, never ending decent into Hell.

_Whoa_, Daniel thought to himself. _That's a little dark_. Although the statement wasn't too far off from the truth.

Daniel was considering taking a brake when the hum of human voices made him think twice. He jogged down the last corner to find the stairs abruptly end.

Before him was a huge underground laboratory made entirely of metal. Chemistry instruments lined the side of the wall Daniel could see from the doorway. Scrap metal was piled on a counter on the wall across from the doorway. Boxes were scattered around the room like whoever owned the space was in constant worry of moving. The most boxes were piled around the entry like the person that placed them was trying to hide the lab from view. Scorch marks were scattered across the ceiling and walls of the room. The scientist must really like experimenting with fire or electricity, Daniel couldn't tell. Or there had been some kind of argument with a ghost as of late.

Despite the mess the thing that drew Daniel's eye was a huge octagon situated directly across from the doorway. The doors were painted pink with a gigantic purple heart embellishment in the center. A big red light sat directly center above the doors.

Maddie and Danny's voices were louder but Daniel couldn't see them yet. Taking a dangerous bet Daniel rushed forward and dove behind one of the shorter piles of boxes. Daniel poked his head through a window between 2 boxes and had to cover his mouth with his hand to keep from gasping.  
Danny Phantom was strapped to a metal dissection table in the center of the lab by his wrists and ankles. Maddie, clad in her blue jumpsuit and goggles, stood over the child with a terrifyingly large laser pointer in her hands.

At the sight Daniel quit lying to himself. _This lab belongs to my mother_. There was evidence scattered all around the lab, from the pink and purple blast doors to the neat handwriting on the notebooks. Finally, Daniel allowed himself to tune into the conversation.

"For the last time, where is my child!?" Maddie cried, brandishing the needle of the laser in Danny's face.

"And I'm telling you for the last time, I have no idea where he is!" Even Daniel could hear the conviction in his voice.

"Lies!" Maddie spat savagely. She stuck the weapon in her hand back on the end of the machine hanging from the ceiling and flipped a switch. A violently green laser sprang out of the tip and struck to table six inches left of Danny's ribs.

"Tell me the truth or I'll cut you in half." Daniel heard Danny gulp, or maybe it was his own.

"Who are you," Maddie continued in a voice that sent chills down Daniel's spine.

Danny's voice was steady as he replied. "You want the truth? I'm your son from an alternate dimension."

"Lies!" The laser started moving closer.

"No, it's true!" Danny's voice raised a pitch as his cool face faltered. The laser kept its pace.

"Even if you were my son," Maddie paused. "You look nothing like me or Vladimir."

"It's because Vlad's not my father. Jack Fenton is," Danny's eyes followed the laser move along the table.

"Jack? _Fenton_?" Maddie muttered to herself.

"Yes, Jack Fenton!" Danny smiled at the small moment of progress. "I ran into him on my way here. He, he still loves you Maddie, very much."  
"Who are you?" The confusion in Maddie's voice was abundantly clear.

Danny sighed. "I was hoping you'd figure it out on your own." When the white rings crossed Danny's body Daniel didn't bother to hide his gasp.  
Maddie stared wide-eyed at Danny Fenton strapped to her examination table. She didn't respond to the white rings as the suddenly rolled along Danny's body for the second time.

"I'm your child Maddie and I think you know it, deep down," Danny bit his lip as he searched Maddie's face for a reaction. They stood frozen for what seemed like forever.

"Do you think you could turn the laser off now?" Danny asked quietly panic edging his voice. Maddie took three small, slow, deliberate steps toward the table. She stared down at Danny as she reached up and turned off the machine. Daniel let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.  
"Thank you," Danny muttered quietly. Maddie made to ask another question when she was interrupted.

"Well isn't this a touching reunion."

Three heads whipped around at the sound of an ecto-gun loading a charge. Vlad stood in the doorway looking like he'd literally rolled out of bed. He wore flannel pajamas, his hair was a mess and he had dried drool running in a vertical line from the corner of his mouth.

"I wake up to a cold, empty bed and when I go to find my beloved wife I find a secret lab instead," Vlad's voice was laced with uncharacteristic pain.  
"Vlad, sweetheart, I-"

"I thought we agreed to give this up, Maddie!" Vlad said cutting his wife off. "I thought we were through with the lies. And you!" Vlad cried turning on Danny who was still strapped to the table by his wrists and ankles. "I knew you should have gotten rid of you when I had the chance."

" Sweetheart please, let me explain," Maddie took a step forward as she spoke. Vlad pointed the gun back at her.

"Take another step an I'll shoot."

Daniel felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Maddie's face flashed with betrayal before setting into a stone cold glare.

"Do it. I dare you."

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a pair of scissors.

"I've got news for you, _Vladimir_," there was enough venom in Maddie's voice to kill a small animal. "I _don't_ like cheese." Maddie took a deliberate step forward. "I _never_ liked your cooking." Another step. "And the only possible reason I'm still here is for Daniel!"

Furious, Vlad brandished the gun and almost pulled the trigger when an ecto-blast shot out of nowhere and flung Vlad into a pile of boxes. Metal went tumbling as a new voice boomed, "KEEP YOUR FILTHY HANDS AWAY FROM MY GIRL."

Jack Plasmius appeared out of thin air in full ghost garb. Daniel's heart sped up at the sight, his repressed memory coming back to mind.

"Jack!" Maddie yelled. At the same time Danny cried, "Dad!"

Jack lowered to the ground and faced the pair.

"Mads-," Jack started.

"Is it true?" Maddie interrupted him.

Surprise flashed across the ghost's face. "Is what true?"

"Do you still love me?"

Jack rubbed a hand across the back of his neck as he spoke, "It's true, Mads. I love you. I have loved you since that day I walked into the wrong classroom back in college."

Maddie pulled the hood of her jumpsuit down. She stared deep into Jack's eyes for a few seconds before launching herself into his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Good."

Jack smiled happily into Maddie's hair.

Daniel was suddenly distracted from the bittersweet reunion by a growl from the pile of boxes Vlad had flown into. The glare on Vlad's face could have set an entire house on fire. Daniel watched his father rise from the boxes and shrank back as Vlad stooped to snatch his dropped gun.

Too late Danny noticed the threat. "Look out!" He screamed.

At that moment something seized Daniel's heart. The world dropped to slow motion as he stared up at his father. Daniel glanced over at Maddie. The blatant fear in her eyes was a stark contrast to the pure ecstasy that had been there mere seconds ago. In that split three seconds Daniel made a choice he'd remember for the rest of this life.

As if his limbs were controlled by a foreign entity, Daniel jumped up and leaped over the short pile of boxes he'd been cowering behind.

Multiple voices flooded his ears as he jumped in the way of Vlad's gun but Maddie's, "DANIEL!" rang the loudest. Daniel watched his fathers eyes widen as he pulled the trigger but it was too late. The bright green ectoplasm slammed into Daniel's chest and the world imploded. Daniel was knocked off of his feet and his vision went white.

When Daniel came to his ears were ringing and his skull felt like it was being ripped open. Vlad's wide eyes were imprinted on the back of the boy's eyelids. Unable to stand the expression Daniel cracked his eyes to blink up at the faces surrounding him.

Danny and Jack stood over him. Maddie's face was upside down and it took Daniel a moment to put together that she was holding his head in her lap. He leaned into his mother's hand and tried to ignore the tears falling from her cheeks.

"That was incredibly stupid," Danny said. Daniel glared at him. Danny smiled as he added, "And one of the bravest things I've ever seen."

Daniel rolled his eyes and tried to shift his torso. An excruciating amount of pain bore over Daniel like an ocean wave. He gasped as tears sprang to his eyes.

"Don't look," Maddie whispered. Her voice was thick with emotion.

"I thought you said ecto-guns didn't harm humans," Daniel asked Danny pointedly. Daniel winced at the hoarse sound to his voice.  
Guilt flashed in Danny's eyes. "Anything hurts at point-blank range, Daniel."

"Right," the human muttered and shut his eyes. A second passed before Daniel spoke again.

"Danny."

"Yeah?"

Daniel opened his eyes again. "You go back in time and fix this." Daniel put as much emotion as he could muster into the words.

Danny's face hardened and he nodded. He glanced at jack and smiled at Maddie before turning around and jogging toward the portal at the back of the room.

The trio left behind watched as Danny smacked the button on the wall next to the machine and the huge doors opened to a deep green swirling mass. Danny was about to step through when he paused and turned around.

"Hey, Daniel," Danny yelled and his voice echoed around the room. Did the lab always echo? Danny continued, "I swear for all that it's worth, I won't forget you."

Daniel smiled and nodded, instantly regretting the motion. Danny smiled back and stepped backwards into the portal.

Daniel watched the green swallow him up through blurry vision. When the doors slammed closed Daniel dropped his head back to Maddie's lap with his eyes shut tight feeling like his body was coming unwound.

* * *

**A/N: The last chapter has finally arrived. Now all that's left is the epilogue. **

**These last two chapters are some of the most important but some of the shortest ones in the whole story. **

**It's been a wild 2 years &amp; thank you to those who have stuck with me through it all! I'll do an official thanks at the end of next chapter. **

**Stay tuned! Until next time, GeekyZelda**


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